At the start of this week we traveled down to Long Island to visit family. It was the start of the Jewish holiday of Passover, and while it isn’t one of my favorite holidays (I love bread too much to enjoy Passover), it is a wonderful time to get together with family and reflect on the joy our kin can bring.
We spent one day with my parents and sister, and another day with my wife’s parents and sister. During both visits, it was great to simply relax, catch up, and watch as our kids played with their aunts, uncles, and grandparents.
While we do visit our parents fairly regularly (they only live about an hour away), we don’t see them daily or weekly, so it can prove to be a very powerful reflection point when we do get together.
It reminds me of how valuable families are, and how necessary they are as connection points.
This also made me think about how our professional families are formed, and why they are so impactful in our work, and our personal lives too. Much has been said about the challenges of mixing professional and personal as we lead and learn, but I’m not convinced that it is necessarily problematic, or even caution-worthy. I’ve made work-related connections that have become very close personal friendships, and I couldn’t imagine those colleagues and friends not being in my life.
Of courses, a key to keeping any connection strong is to regularly visit and connect with the people who matter most. So, whether it be for holidays, conferences, or just simply for fun, the importance of paying a visit is one that can’t be overstated.