The Corporate Dad-Mom

Today I operated on two battle fronts full-time: full-time attorney and full-time substitute mom.  My wife was taken out of commission today with an illness but that didn't stop deadlines at work. On the one hand, I needed to take care of our sick kids.  On the other hand, I needed to keep up with certain project deadlines.  How did I do them both?  Not very well.  Although I did feed the kids, I had them sit in front of the TV the rest of the time watching movies.  And, although I was able to work on my projects, I was unable to finish any of them.  So, at the end of the day, I was a neglectful father and a useless judicial clerk.  This may seem like a melodramatic conclusion, but when you're in the heat of the battle you feel like the fall of Bonaparte.  In reality, when trying to accomplish too many things at once, the most I can hope for is mediocrity.  But sometimes that's the best a corporate dad can do. I did feel better about myself after taking time to wrestle with the kids before bed.