Underlying my basic choice is one of my fundamental values

  1. I put my family first and my work second
    By work, I mean everything else. So if a kid is sick, I look after the sick kid; if my wife needs a breather, I do what I can in the moment to make that possible; if it takes ages to get to kindergarten and I can’t make the 9 o’clock meeting, then I don’t make the 9 o’clock meeting.
  2. There is no second point

Do I have an internal conflict of interest, or get irritated, or feel discomfort at missing meetings, especially in the mornings? Is that not “friction”?

Yes, of course. “No friction” is an ideal–a standard, with a very high bar. It’s not about avoiding friction, it’s about accepting it and dealing with it, so I don’t fall into fiction–pretending everything is ok. So what do I do? Breathe deeply and let go.

It’s very important to remember that…

…in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul

~ Max Ehrmann, Desiderata source: allpoetry.com