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I didn’t have enough time to write today. Earlier this week, when I was planning what to do on Saturday, I intended to spend 3-4 hours at the keyboard writing for my blog and for The Father Essay series. I didn’t have anything planned for Today so I thought it should be easy to fit in the writing time.Wednesday night my Brother calls to tell me he and his wife are volunteering at a Habitat For Humanity House on Saturday and did we want to watch their son Hollis for the day. Jenn and I jumped at the chance because our nephew is the cutest kid in the world. (and no, I am not biased! ) In my head I just re-adjusted my schedule and pushed writing off until later in the evening.

Thursday my good friend Mark emails me to tell us he is hosting a birthday party for his girlfriend Kelly. Kelly also happens to be a very good friend of ours not just Mark’s girlfriend. I knew if I said yes to the birthday party that I would be giving up my chance to write at all today, but I also knew that some very close friends that I haven’t seen in three months would be there. Again I chose to push of writing, this time till Sunday afternoon.

The part of me that is desperate to become a published author chastises myself for not keeping writing at the top of my priority list. However, another side of me realizes that spending time with family and close friends, especially ones you don’t see very often, needs to take priority when an opportunity like this arises. So did I make the right choice? Should I have pushed off family and friends to keep to my self imposed writing schedule? I think I have an answer.

Hollis takes a step towards me. I sing a staccato musical note at the same time his foot lands on the carpet. He takes another step with a smile on his face. I make another note. Hollis smiles wide, now he knows the rules. Every time his foot falls I make a noise. He runs at me and I dutifully make a musical note for every footfall, raising the pitch as he approaches. He stops three feet away, tilts his head back, and laughs the innocent laugh of youth. Then he turns and runs to the front door as I keep a musical score to the tempo of his running feet, this time taking the pitch from high to low. At the front door he laughs again and says, “Make the noise again?” and starts running back towards me. We go on like this for a while. I sing notes and he laughs and nothing else seems to matter. For this short time my whole existence is focused on the joy of one little boy.

I could have written today. I could have told my friends and family that I was busy and made writing my top priority. But if I did I would have missed a moment with Hollis that I will cherish for the rest of my life. Not to mention the good time we had at Mark’s house visiting with friends. I guess it all comes down to this question. What good is being a writer if you miss out on the part of your life you are supposed to write about?

So, did I make the right choice? Yeah, I think I did.

- Sean