In the spirit of St. Patrick’s Day, I’m feeling lucky. Tomorrow I will return back to work after a month of parental leave. As I reflect on the important study time and special quality time with my baby girl, I recognize how lucky I really am.
I’m lucky to work for a company that offers paternity leave in the first place. I’m lucky to be part of teams that hold the down the fort and pick up the slack in my absence. I’m lucky to work with people that believe happiness on the home front leads to better performance in business. I’m lucky to be passionate about my craft and excited to return after several weeks off. I’m lucky that I had the time I needed to sufficiently prepare for the CFP® exam. I’m also lucky to have a break from the daily grind of studying.
I’m incredibly lucky to have an amazing wife, a supportive family, and encouraging friends. I’m lucky to have a baby that’s happy, healthy, and sleepy. I’m lucky that my gym offers babysitting services. I’m lucky that Fisher Price made a magical nap swing, and I’m lucky to push the Cadillac of all strollers.
Finally, I’m lucky that every time I woke up Charlie from a nap, she reacted like it was Christmas morning. I’m lucky that I got to see my newborn baby transform into a smiley bundle of fun. I’m lucky that I was there to see her grow up and learn new things every day. I’m lucky for all the daily songs, dances, laughs, snuggles and playtime we had. I’m lucky for the special moments I had with the little leprechaun that I’ll cherish for the rest of my life.
I’ll end this St. Patrick’s Day reflection with this old Irish Proverb: “May your day be touched by a bit of Irish luck, brightened by a song in your heart and warmed by the smiles of the people you love.” It sure has felt that way for me.
The Janiec Reflection 