Putting work-life balance into perspective

More today on the work-life balance (work-life teeter-totter sometimes seems more apropos). For this blog, I peruse lay press health pages to get ideas for stories to cover that your patients may bring to you for your opinion. It was in that context that I came across this most disturbing story. It appears that a man left nine of his 10 children at a hospital in Nebraska under their new Safe Haven Law. Much of the press has centered around whether this is an appropriate use of a law that was meant to be used by parents of young children (in particular newborns) who were feeling overwhelmed. Although I agree that is an interesting conversation, I am left to wonder more broadly, how could he do this?

It appears that his wife (who may have had some mental health issues) died days after giving birth to their 10th child, and he has been raising them all since. I keep imaging the conversation in the car with the older children about why Dad was leaving them at the hospital to go into foster care (or a shelter?). And then I think about that final goodbye. Things must have been awfully bad at home for him to decide this was the best option. He must have felt like he was drowning, and could never get his head above water. But more than feeling sympathy for the father, my heart is heavy for the children. They were, in essence, perhaps rightfully, abandoned by their father only a year and half after their mother died.

Sometimes I think I have it so hard, I wish I had a different balance in my life. But then life gives me a swift kick of perspective right where I need it. At the risk of sounding overly dramatic (too late!), how lucky am I? Sorry for the diversion today, back to cancer next week, I promise. For this weekend: hug your families.