Amy and I have a terrible work-life balance.

We are both working nearly full-time right now, and that leaves little margin for the “extras.”

What Now?!

A few weeks ago, feeling the load from a busy week, and Amy swamped with all her responsibilities, we both found ourselves at the front reception at the same time.

Ironically, the phone rang, and it was the elementary campus asking to speak to one of us. We caught each other’s eye (not in the romantic way) but in the “what now?!” kind of look that parents give when they get a call from the school. Amy had to run to a meeting, so I took the phone call.

“Levi will need to go to the hospital for stitches!”

Injuries are all too familiar for the Cumiskeys. Hospitals, bumps, and bruises come with the job of parenting four boys.

But not this week, we are too busy this week, there’s no time for this.

Yet here I was, picking up Levi with a pretty good gash on his head from a toe-to-toe battle with a fence post. There was definitely a need for a hospital visit (which if you’ve been to emergency lately, is a tough decision to make!).

Just Dad

With a blubbering mess of a kid, scared for his impending stitches, crying on my shoulder in the waiting area, I caught myself preoccupied with thoughts of trying to reschedule meetings, adjust extracurriculars, coordinate with Amy on pick-ups and drop-offs, burdened with this unexpected trip to the emergency room.

“Levi, Levi, Levi,” called the triage nurse.

It took THREE Levi’s to get me out of my own head. “Dad, it’s our turn!” Sad little eyes looked up with a fear that comes with the impending procedure.

It became apparent that, it this moment, what my boy needed most was dad. Not the principal dad, not sports dad, not taxi dad, just dad. A confidence, reassurance, encouraging dad that would be fully present.

Mother Teresa once said, “if you want to change the world, go home and love your family.” This is good wisdom.

It dawned on me that sometimes we do a lot of good for our kids—playdates, sports teams, musicals, etc. but sometimes, what they really need, is for us is to be fully present.

Turns out, no stitches were needed; we just glued his head back together!