See Your Folks’ Site Encourages Family Interaction
One message I did not expect to find recently in browsing through Twitter postings was a link to Ryan Holmes of Hoot Suite fame and his commentary on work-life balance and seeing your elder parents more often. After all, Twitter is a social media networking and microblogging service and Hoot Suite is a social media management system that pulls together Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Google+ among others. Hoot Suite, begun in 2008, has more than 7 million users in more than 175 countries. Holmes is its CEO and he was talking about family, not technology. For those who think that social media is the end of face to face conversation and communication, this is a good sign. Holmes discussed our over involvement with work through a review of a website called simply “See Your Folks,” or www.seeyourfolks.com.
The website “See Your Folks” did not originate in the USA. Your first clue is that it asks the country where your parents live and the default is the United Kingdom. It also asks “How old is your mum?” The spelling of “Mom” is unmistakably British. The idea is this. You, the viewer enter, on average, how many times you see your parents in a year and their country. You enter the age of each of your parents. Then, based on information from the World Health Organization Life Expectancy Data (2011), the site tells you how many times you would likely see your parents before they die. The message is grim but I suspect that is not the purpose. The subtext under “See Your Folks” is the statement “We’re so busy growing up we sometimes forget that they are also growing old.” In other words, enjoy your family while you can.
This is where Ryan Holmes’ commentary comes in. His article is titled “I Will See My Parents 252 Times Before They Die – How About You?” He took the “See Your Folks” test on the internet and found he had 252 more times to see them, a number that obviously concerned him. Did work take up too much of his life? Here is what he had to say:
“This reality check has reminded me again how absolutely crucial it is to find ways to step outside of the moment and see any business venture for what it is: one part of a life’s work, not your entire reality.
After all, for a while now the line between my professional life and personal life has been pretty blurry. Don’t get me wrong: Transforming a tiny startup into a global tech company has been a thrill. But it’s left me with a lot less time to see my parents.
So, since resolution season is upon us, maybe it’s time I made one. In 2014, I resolve to find more ways to maintain a healthy and holistic perspective on life. If you find yourself checking work emails while you’re out with friends, spending less time with the family and worrying about Monday morning on Saturday afternoon, it might just be time to add that resolution to your list, as well.
So what does a healthy, holistic perspective look like? I don’t have all the secrets, but I think work-life balance is key…
Having a healthy and holistic outlook on life is also about keeping your sights set on the bigger picture and finding a greater sense of purpose beyond the day-to-day. ..
But I also have bigger goals with my life—like supporting youth entrepreneurship and innovation through The Next Big Thing Foundation. These things, I’ve found, keep me focused and grounded through career moments both high and low. 252 times <to see my parents>…that really puts things into perspective. Time and life, wait for no one – no matter how important your job may be…”
The discussion reminded me of a recent episode of one of my favorite television shows, “The Middle.” In the Christmas segment, teenaged son, Axl, visiting home during his first Christmas in college, argues against participating in any family activities and his comically bad experiences with them seems to prove him right. Finally, Dad gives him the go ahead to be with his friends but, citing the 1974 Harry Chapin song “The Cat’s In the Cradle,” comments there would not be many Christmases left to be together as family. Axel gets the message. His brother Brick later comments “I’m calling Dad at work.”
About the Author Janet Colliton
Esquire, Colliton Law Associates, P.C. Janet Colliton has practiced law for over 38 years, 37 of them in Chester County, Pennsylvania, a suburb of Philadelphia. Her practice, Colliton Law Associates, PC, is limited to elder law, Medicaid, including advice, applications and appeals, and other benefits planning including Veterans benefits, life care and special needs planning, guardianships, retirement, and estate planning and administration.