This is how I feel when my boss tells me he’s worked so late some nights he didn’t see his family for the entire day. And if I worked harder, I could be like that.
I've been working in my industry for 20 years now (fuck that's depressing to write). Literally every boss I've ever had but except for one has been baffled by me not wanting to climb the corporate ladder by working more hours and seeing my family less.
The one that understood was like, "Just keep doing you, man. Don't let anyone else tell you that you have to keep moving up." I always appreciated that.
I’m doing the same thing, my dad died right after retiring (didn’t take care of his heart, long story). But he spent a lot of time with us a kids.
He never made much money, but worked construction in the summers so he could ski and be with us in the winters.
It sucks because he missed meeting his grandson, but it showed me gore important it is to be with your family. And also go to the fucking Doctor and manage your blood pressure and arterial health!
Literally why my father in law and I have some serious issues
It took years for him to realize I'm not a lazy person who doesn't apply themselves (I am, just not at work), I just refuse to completely abandon my family for financial gain like he did. That royally pissed him off for nearly a decade, but now that he's getting near retirement age he has begun to see my side as having a really good point.
Sure he did it so that his kids could have a good life and inherit enough money to never work once he dies, but the trade-off of the damaged relationships is, to me, not worth it. Especially when the world when I was the age he did that no longer rewarded such behaviour. My favorite example being that I actually did work extra hard for a company, his, and got fired for it. Shuts him up pretty fucking quick at least