All They Want Is Your Time

This  morning I was going for a run and I was listening, as I do usually do, to a podcast.

I have a few favorites.

I listen to Amy Porterfield for business stuff.

For a good ass-kicking and a reminder to take ownership of all my decisions/words/actions/failures, I listen to Jocko Willink.

And when I feel like I need to do a little soul searching, I listen to Oprah’s SuperSoul Conversations. Her podcast is basically interviews with everyone she has interviewed. Ever.

She has so many great interviews.

Today I was listening to the Tom Brady episodes.

Living in New England and being, you know… human, I obviously know who Tom Brady is.

But I don’t know a whole lot about him.

I found his story to be really interesting.

But the thing that stuck out the most from the whole interview was him talking about his childhood, and how he had such a great dad.

He talked about how his dad would work all day and come home and grab a baseball bat, ball, and glove and spend a couple hours playing baseball (did you know Tom Brady was a better baseball player than football player when he was younger but he just loved football more than baseball?) with him every night.

And how he’s so grateful for that because all your kids want is your time.

The way things are going in my life right now, I have had to do some work at night after the kids go to bed.

And I am usually so tired at that point that I try to avoid it at all costs.

So usually if it’s a night the kids can watch some TV, I’ll work on the computer while they are watching something for a while.

Tonight being Sunday, we had managed to get most of our stuff done early and we had eaten dinner by 6:30, so we had an hour and a half before the little guys went to bed.

Number 5 asked if everyone could watch a movie together.

Of course I had a bunch of computer work I hadn’t gotten to yet, and it’s stuff I have to do before morning, so I wanted to get it done. And that would have been the ideal time.

I would have had about 90 minutes with the kids being occupied and that was about all the time I’d need. Then I’d be done, put the kids into bed, and then I could hang out for a little, relax, and go to sleep.

And then I looked at Number 5 asking me to please sit down on the couch with everyone and watch the movie we’d picked.

And then Number 7 said, “Mommy, you can sit right between me and Number 5!”

And then I thought of Tom Brady and his dad.

Damn you, Tom Brady.

Or maybe I should say, Thank you, Tom Brady.

So I put all the work aside and gave the kids and the movie my full attention.

I didn’t even bring my phone onto the couch which is something I have certainly been known to do.

It was just me, the kids, and The Great Gilly Hopkins.

And it was great.

So tonight as I am writing a different post than the one I planned on writing earlier today — or actually on Friday — I am again reminded that the biggest gift we can give our children this holiday season — AND EVERY DAY — is the gift of our undivided attention.

Our interest.

Our physical contact.

Our hugs.

Our kisses.

Our high fives.

Our snuggles on the couch.

Our time.

So a final reminder to myself and you:

If you have time to scroll through Facebook or Instagram or watch This Is Us or read this post, then I’ll go out on a limb and wager a bazillion dollars that you for sure have at least a few minutes of time to give to your kids as well.

Wanna look cute while you work out?

Wanna look cute while you don’t work out?

JOIN MY BADASS ZYIA COMMUNITY.