I’m not sure this is the right place for this post. Maybe I just need to vent or get your insights on how to move forward.
For context, my father had a stroke last week. Unfortunately he has a long history of heart issues following a major heart attack a decade ago. Sadly the stroke was caused by a clot from the heart and the outcome is bleak at best. I just found out while home that he was told last year he would have 1-3 years to live. So two remaining, at best. That’s before the stroke and the new set of complications.
In an effort to be proactive I took some concerns to my boss and asked for some room to navigate this with my family and to get some things off my plate to free up my mental head space.
My real frustration began when that was met with a discussion about perception and making sure I’ve considered the ramifications of saying no to certain “extra opportunities”. Including potential evaluation concerns. That was the last thing I wanted to discuss or care about. What I don’t want is to wish on the backside of this that I hadn’t spent so many nights in front of my computer instead of with my father. Or that I had done X, Y or Z when we got the news.
The other thing, maybe I’m off here but if I bring my own family concerns should that be met with a 30 minute dissertation on all the hardships my boss has endured on his journey? I don’t care about your divorce from your first wife and how you got through that and are in this position now because of that perspective.
Anyway, maybe I’m off. Maybe I’m expecting too much. Or I’m too naive to the world. I don’t know. Either way thanks for the space to get this out.