I read a short story in the Healthy Wealthy and Wise newsletter that told of a busy man who was always on the go. Between work, meetings and other commitments, he hardly had a second to breathe, or at least so it seemed. One day this busy man was called by his little girl’s teacher and asked to come in for a parent teacher conference regarding his daughter Bethany. The busy man’s wife usually took care of such things, but since the teacher called him personally and asked for him to be there, alone, he found time to schedule her in and showed up at the school to meet with her.

After a few conversational pleasantries, the man and teacher sat down at the short table. The man squeezed into the small chair, but his knees would not go under the table, so he pushed his chair back a bit. He glanced at his watch, and asked the teacher, “So, what is it you want to talk to me about? I hope Bethany hasn’t been acting up.”

The teacher pulled out a piece of paper that had a drawing on it. She placed it on the small table between them so the man could read the title of the picture, “My Family.” At the bottom, the man saw his daughter’s printing, “Bethany.” He studied the picture for a moment. He recognized Bethany right away, she drew herself wearing her favorite red dress. He also recognized his wife with long blonde hair, and his son, John, four years older than Bethany and drawn about twice the size. She drew him holding a football. Their dog, Max, was standing between John and Bethany.

The man’s face became puzzled and he looked up at the teacher. “Where am I?” he asked. He looked back at the drawing and sure enough, there were only three people and the family dog portrayed on the paper.

The teacher’s voice was soft, and she looked like she might almost cry. “I asked her the same thing. I asked her where her daddy was.” She continued, “She answered, ‘Daddy’s never home, so I left him out of the drawing.’”

Could you imagine being hit with a statement like that? As a father of a six year old girl, this story made me stop and give thanks that I spend so much time with her. I’ve been hit many times in my life, literally and figuratively, but I don’t know if I could take the blow of a statement like that. The most important thing a parent can give to a child is time. All the toys and material possessions you pile on won’t make up for your absence. They say kids grow up so fast, and until you’re a parent, you don’t realize just how fast that really is. So be sure to spend time with your family, it is the most important thing you can do. So ask yourself, “Am I in my family picture?”