"As do I. Must be hard when your parent has chosen work over family"
Over9five,
You have touched on an area that concerns both drivers and management. I constantly read posts that reference getting home to families after the kids have eaten dinner or are in bed.
I've thought about this during my career as I've moved different places or worked long hours, taking me away from family. You wonder if you've made the right choice- is this the best thing for my family? I remember when my oldest daughter was a senior in College, she came home on spring break and told me that she and her friends were talking about college loans. She said all her friends were worried about how they would live when they graduated, because of the large monthly college loan payments. She said that she was quiet during the discussion, because she then realized that she didn't have any loans, that she wasn't worried about how she pay for her future.
She then said something that told me I'd made the right choices. She said that when she was growing up, she sometimes wondered why I couldn't be at all her activities during the week like other dads. She now understood that what I was doing was taking care of the family, living modestly, but saving money, so she and her sister could get a good start in life.
I think that what all of us parents want for our children- to teach them the values that will allow them to become independant adults. It's what keeps a driver coming to work every day, even with long hours and a challenging workload. It's what keeps a management person coming to work every day, even with long hours, moving around the country, etc. We all just want our families to have a chance to live a full and happy life.