YOU CAN BE REPLACED

“You can be replaced in any profession but you cannot be replaced in your family.”- Unknown

When was the last time you chose family over work?

Or the last time you chose family over friends?

Tough question for some because the answer, “I don’t remember” can be a brutal one.

It is easy to get caught up in the game of life. You had a long day at work. There were so many responsibilities and things that needed to get done. Suddenly your friends want to go out drinking or golfing and you jump at the chance to use that as an “escape” from your family or home life. Why?

The other day I had a dilemma on my hands. My wife, currently pregnant with our first child, had scheduled an ultrasound on a weekday. Of course, I would have liked to go as this is an exciting but also nervous time for both of us, not having been through this before. However, this also happens to be a very busy time at work. I have a lot of things that need to get done and I feel a sense of responsibility to be there for my team.

When my wife originally asked me if I would like to go to the ultrasound with her, my initial response was “Well…I’ll have to check my work schedule.” Then, as the days passed and the conversation came up again, I told her that I probably wouldn’t make it.

And then I thought about it really fucking hard…and changed my mind. I told her that work could wait and I would go with her. So what caused this sudden change of heart?

I heard a great quote on the radio the other day that said,

“You can be replaced in any profession but you cannot be replaced in your family.”

That right there is fucking powerful. The moment I thought work was more important than being there with my wife for our future child’s appointment, I was reminded of that quote.

The truth is, all sorts of things can go through my head when I’m not there at work:

What if someone needs me?

What if a customer gets mad if I’m not there?

What if the team talks shit about me because I’m not there?

The conclusion to all of these is who fucking cares?

Now to be fair, I enjoy my job and the team that I work with daily. I do feel a major responsibility to be there as often as I can so that I can help them do what they do best. But the sad reality is that if I quit or were fired tomorrow, they’d have a replacement for my position within a month; probably sooner. And that goes for any fucking job on this planet. You can be replaced at any time, and if and when you leave (either willingly or unwillingly), some other chump will be filling your shoes very soon. It won’t take long for them to forget the legacy you left behind in the company either.

Now your family is in a completely different situation. If you left tomorrow, (again willingly or unwillingly) who is going to fill your shoes? Who are your kids going to call mommy or daddy? What kind of relationship will you have with your husband or wife or kids? All of those hours spent trying to solve the little problems that you deem important will never be as important as the time you could be spending with those you love most, and who love you in turn. Your presence is key! You are the one thing that your family cannot replace and you are passing it up for a job that would replace you in a fucking week.

Though your friends and your job are (and should be) important elements in your life, they can (unfortunately) replace you. Your family cannot. This is what you signed up for. You are not expendable to them the way you are in other areas of your life. Family is not work. Family is your home. What if you decided to choose them for once?