The following is one of a series of blog post that were written while I was in China in the spring of 2009 as part of my Eisenhower Fellowship. If you have interest in China’s culture I think you will enjoy this series.
Next Stop China
24 hours later, and I am in Beijing.
My two year old girl’s name is Elena. She is temperamental, commanding attention at all times. Fearless, with no sense of apprehension, yet affectionate and extremely loving. Each morning she wakes at 6:00 a.m., quietly climbs into bed and pokes either my wife or I until someone says something to her. Then she just giggles.
In the last year I can not remember being away from her for more than 2 nights in a row. As I sit in my Beijing hotel tonight, I realize it will be 31 nights until I see her again.
I believe one of the most difficult challenges parents face is balancing their own personal goals and ambitions with the needs and desires of their children. It is a constant juggling act where parents try to ensure that they have a healthy sense of self-fulfillment, while at the same time engaging in their children’s lives. Like all Eisenhower Fellows, when I decided to apply for the fellowship I was aware of the sacrifices it might entail. Still, my wife and I determined that the rewards outweighed the costs.
The cost of a month without my daughter is high. I accept this reality not as a negative, but a reminder and motivator to ensure that I utilize this time wisely.
The schedule in front of me is packed from dusk to dawn with some of the most influential and accomplished leaders in the region. I suspect the month ahead of me will be one of the most exciting and educational of my life. I hope to be able to translate my experiences here into tangible results for our region when I return: to find better ways to get businesses off the ground; to develop more efficient means to help young companies grow; to develop a network to assist in recruiting top companies and talent to our region.
This is an incredible reward and I am eternally grateful to all those who have made this possible, from the trustees to the Eisenhower Fellowship team. And a special thanks to Erin and Julia who have put in tireless hours over the past several months coordinating my program. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
