It's been my privilege to travel over much of the world, including four complete circumnavigations of the globe (shades of 'Around The World in 80 Days' sans the balloon). I've worked in many of the world's great cities and some of the most remote corners of the earth. The downside to all that experience is the time it has taken away from home, from my wife and children, from dear friends, and church, too, usually for weeks and often for several months at a time. Somehow my loving wife Gloria and my remarkable children (they really are!) have managed to stay close together. I credit that to God!
But no matter where I travel and what I'm doing, there are two events at home that I do everything possible to make sure I don't miss -- Thanksgiving and Christmas! While I think of EVERY day with my darling Gloria as a day of celebration (which is a good thing were I to confess how many anniversaries I've missed), Christmas and Thanksgiving are the two occasions when we celebrate our entire family. Over the years I've missed maybe 4 Thanksgivings - but not one Christmas (though I've come close a few times)!
One of the Thanksgivings I DID miss found me in Manila, preparing for directing the television coverage of a Billy Graham crusade (one of the week-long speaking missions he conducted in almost every major city of the world). Hundreds of thousands attended those meetings in the Philippines. As Thanksgiving approached, the hotel chef announced he would be serving a tradional Thanksgiving dinner. For a young homesick director, this conjured up wistful images of home. The menu promised roast turkey with stuffing and all the trimmings, cranberry sause, pumpkin pie. I could hardly wait. But with the first bite I was reminded of Dorothy in Oz. We were certainly 'not in Kansas'. We weren't even near America and it sure wasn't a 'traditional Thanksgiving dinner'. An 'A' for effort, but it all tasted Philippino by the time it came out of the kitchen! I ended the day more homesick than ever.
I encourage you to identify those marker days in the calendar that mean the most to you and to the people you care most about. It could be your anniversary or your mom's birthday or like me, Thanksgiving and Christmas. Then make every effort to protect celebration of those occasions from the temptation to never turn down work or to never raise your voice to suggest a schedule change that could allow you to be home on the days that matter most to you and those you love. Most people will respect you for it - maybe even change something to make it happen for you. Even so, I've missed a few Thanksgiving celebrations, but those I love knew how much I wanted to be there.
It will be hard to keep a perfect record if you're successful as a filmmaker, television, or live event professional. On more than one occasion I've flown out the day after Christmas to load in a New Year's show somewhere. That I've never missed a Christmas is a blessing from God for which I'm grateful. There will ALWAYS be opportunities, even creative ones, to keep you away from what is ultimately the most important part of this life - the people we care about and who care for us. But when all else fails, when the phone doesn't ring and no one is hitting your website or checking out your LinkedIn page for job referrals, it is the people who have loved you all along that will still be there for you. Don't take them for granted or the chances you have now to be with them, to celebrate them, to enjoy them, to GIVE THANKS for them...That's what I'm doing this Thanksgiving!
