I stayed home sick today. Not exactly how I planned to spend my Friday.
The funny thing about being forced to slow down is that your mind tends to wander. You start thinking about things you normally push past because there are emails to answer, grass to cut, candidates to call, projects to finish, and responsibilities waiting for you.
As I sat here this morning, I found myself thinking about a conversation I had earlier this week. What started as a discussion about lawn care became something entirely different.
A woman stood in my neighbor's yard asking about some trees, a fence line, and a few projects around the property. My brain immediately did what most of us do. It started trying to solve the problem.
Then she started crying.
And suddenly there was no problem to solve. She shared that her grandson had been diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor and had recently entered hospice care. She was there supporting her son and family through something no parent or grandparent should ever have to face.
As a father, I couldn't stop thinking about it. As a Christian, I couldn't stop praying about it.As a human being, I couldn't stop wishing there was something I could do to make it better. The next morning, my neighbor texted me.
His son had passed away that same night.
Thirteen years old.
As I sat there reading the message, everything that had seemed important suddenly became very small. The emails could wait. The projects could wait. The lawn could wait. The deadlines could wait. A family had lost a son. A father had lost his little boy. Later that evening, I brought a meal to their home and had the opportunity to pray with the family. Standing there, I was reminded of something I think we all know, but too often forget.
Life is fragile.
The people we love are gifts. And none of us are promised tomorrow.
As Father's Day weekend approaches, I find myself thinking less about work and more about people. Less about goals and more about gratitude. Less about what needs to be done and more about who I get to do life with.
This week started with conversations about resumes, information, truth, trust, and understanding. Those are important conversations. They matter. In many ways, they are what Better Hiring Conversations is all about.
But this experience reminded me that behind every conversation is a person. A person carrying hopes, fears, burdens, dreams, victories, and sometimes unimaginable grief. We spend so much of our lives focused on what is urgent that we can easily lose sight of what is important.
This week reminded me that the most important things in life are rarely things. They are people. The conversations we have. The time we give. The prayers we offer. The meals we deliver. The moments we choose to show up, conversations change careers. Some conversations change perspectives. And some conversations remind us what matters most.
If you're fortunate enough to hug your children this Father's Day weekend, hug them a little longer. If your father is still here, call him. If someone around you is hurting, show up. If you're carrying a burden, don't carry it alone. Goals are seasonal. Growth is the journey.
But people are the reason.