I recently returned from taking the most time off all at once that I have ever taken. I left on May 27 and returned on July 6. 39 days away from the office. I took 28 days off when I was recovering from prostate cancer surgery, but other than that my time off has been limited to a week here and there and some long week-ends. It was good to re-charge and I learned some things in the process.
The first thing I learned is that my wife never sits down. From the time she rolls out of bed, she is in constant motion. I have tried to help out with chores around the house throughout my working career, but it didn’t take but a few days to realize how little help I actually provided. Running the vacuum, folding clothes and helping with dinner and dishes makes up only a very small amount of what she does in a typical day. I rolled out of bed one day around 6am and couldn’t find her or the dog anywhere in the house. I walked outside and there she was trimming some bushes—-at 6am!
I also learned how much I really enjoy being around Debbie. I remember when we first started dating, I wanted to be with her constantly. We would ride to school together. Go to lunch together. Spend time talking with each other on the phone every night. It was much the same when we got married, but college and work started taking some of that precious time. Then work turned into a career and kids came along. We were lucky if we spend one hour a day together, and even then we were exhausted. Time away together was planned rather than spontaneous. This time off allowed time together to be more natural and maybe we were working together out in the yard, but it was still a joy to be doing something together.
Life goes on even when you’re trying to take time off. There was time spent caring for aging parents and watching grandkids. We said good-bye to Deb’s step mom as she moved back to New Hampshire to live with her sister. Daughter Kayla announced her engagement to long-time boyfriend, Brian. My brother spent most of my time off battling COVID. Life.
By being away from the office that long, I really learned how fortunate I am to have the job I have and the people I work with, both staff and clients. I missed the daily banter back and forth with the staff. I missed client calls and updates, mostly because of how those calls and meetings center around sharing what’s going on in our lives as much as what’s going on in the world of investing.
It was good to get away, but it’s good to be back. And probably the best news I had is that my key still worked in the office door!
These are the opinions of Legacy Wealth Management, LLC and not necessarily those of Cambridge, are for informational purposes only, and should not be construed or acted upon as individualized investment advice.
Mike Berry is a Registered Representative offering securities through Cambridge Investment Research, Inc., a Broker/Dealer, Member FINRA/SIPC. Investment Advisor Representative, Cambridge Investment Research Advisors, Inc., a Registered Investment Advisor. Legacy Wealth Management, LLC and Cambridge are not affiliated. Cambridge does not offer tax advice.
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