“Mama, this basketball game after school is super important. I need you there.”

Like any proud mama, I promised I wouldn’t miss it. I even basked in the fact that he still wanted his mom to be there. When I got to work, I told my colleagues at the university I’d be leaving early to make it.

But as the day unfolded, I got caught in last-minute requests and quick questions, and before I knew it, I was running very late. By the time I was finally at the high school gym, the game was already in the fourth quarter.

After the buzzer, my son came over to the stands and told me how glad he was that I made it. Then, with zero ill will, he asked me, “Have you ever been late for a keynote, a meeting, to teach, or even a flight?” I admitted to him—never, because those things are important.

He looked at me with sadness in his eyes and his voice, and asked, “But you can be late for me?”

That moment felt like an emotional two-by-four hitting me in the face. He was right. The way I was showing up didn’t align with the values I claimed to hold most dear. If family was what mattered most, my actions weren’t lining up.

My son gave me a gift that day. He offered me grace, reminded me that change is possible, and trusted I’d do better. He gave me the opportunity to do relationship repair. From then on, I made it a non-negotiable to keep my word when it came to showing up for my family and the things that matter most.

The reality is that so many of us live such full........

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