Lukas Graham has an interesting song that is being played on the radio pretty much nonstop the last few weeks. It’s been reverberating in my soul for weeks now.

It tells the story of growing up, the power of sharing stories and his rise to fame.

Then it shifts gears toward the future. “Soon we’ll be 30 years old…”

And then again: “Soon I’ll be sixty years old – I hope my children will come and visit once or twice a month.”

Even though I’m not nearly as young and hip as Lukas (and only mostly infamous), I find myself in the middle of a tension. Much like Lukas writes about.

I have a job that I love, that I spend a lot of time doing, and that brings me life.

I also want my wife and boys to know me. I want to know them. I want to be present. Not just physically, but emotionally and spiritually as well.

If you talk to my wife, she would say that we do know each other, and we do spend lots of time together. Thankfully, I am learning how to do this better!

If I am honest, sometimes, I overvalue providing for my family financially. My brain whirls with work, even when I am home or on vacation. I want to prove my worth.

I want to be a present neighbor, friend and brother/son/husband. And I’m taking steps (counseling 🙂 to do just that.

Now, I will continue to put my heart and soul into my job.

But I will continue to vow to value my family more than my vocation?

What will the cost be if I don’t make this choose?

We all find ourselves here. And, yes, we have great responsibility to those around us that we should not take lightly.

May we lean into those responsibilities with joy, but never at the expense of having quality and depth of relationships those around us. Especially our spouse and kids.

When I’m 60 years old, I’m hoping my kids come to visit WAY MORE than once or twice a month.

Kevin