Foundations

I read about a guy who was an actor.  He had had an incredible career, and gotten heaps of jobs, but it had stalled.  He was getting none.  He so resented being out of work.  He saw himself as the provider.  He had a wife and kids.
The kids would badger him to do stuff with them.  He wasn’t really listening.  He would scan papers looking for work.  One time one of the kids suggested they go to a park.  It was a nice park so he agreed to go with them.
While there, they all had a really great time.  It was then he realized how important his family was to him.  He knew he had had his priorities wrong.  He got really close to his kids to the friends of the kids would visit and ask that he come out with them.
To quote him “…we moved to Hollywood where the stresses and strains of show-biz careers have been known to destroy the strongest ties... today, we remain as close as ever.”
In a sense that confirms what I have felt.  I reckon people matter more than things.  Sure I want to be successful in the tasks I undertake.  At the very lest it seems credibility is often built on success.   I question though, if a successful career matters more than successful relationships.  I guess it is the old story that on their death bed no one says, “I wish I’d spent more time at work.”
For me, it depends on priorities.  Mine are faith, family, career.  I was looking for another ‘f’ word so it was alliteration, but could not come up with none.  Ok I’ve retired, but I still reckon “career” is relevant, though it may be different to one in the past.  It is important to me that my foundation is right (I don’t want to be limited by a use by date.)
Wow.  I just looked up “foundation” and had forgotten it is what a woman often uses when applying make-up.  That one is so not what I am thinking about.  Another definition which is more what I am thinking about is “an underlying base or support.”
Everyone has their own foundation, but it is universal that if the foundation is not right, then the structure is precarious at best.  I think I have seen that sort of thing recently in Sydney, where the building had to be evacuated while experts checked the reason for the cracks.
For me, I can only treat people right if my foundation is right.  I have a number of priorities, but my success or otherwise, is built on what is my number one priority.