Sometimes we have to choose between work and family. In early January my mother had eye surgery.  Unbeknownst to my sister and me she had been dealing with cataracts for over 14 years and finally reached the point where the eye doctor could not certify her fit to drive a car. The prospect of missing Friday morning coffee (a 7 mile drive to the diner in the next town) with 7 of her high school classmates (class of 1948) provided the motivation for mom to consent to surgery. I planned several days out of the office to travel the 300 miles from Minneapolis to southwestern Wisconsin and, along with my sister, be there to support mom before, during and after the surgery. 

January is a quiet month for most NCFR members as many universities are closed the better part of the month.  However at NCFR headquarters it's a busy time. We're wrapping up the fiscal year, interpreting the post-conference survey, doing performance reviews, and planning the work for the year ahead. It's not a good time to miss work. 

Enter modern technology. I bought a wireless router and installed it in my mother's apartment and was able to work remotely while assisting with her recovery.  I was at her bedside when they wheeled her into the operating room, and nearby when she called my sister into her apartment bathroom and asked, "Has my bathroom always been this color lavender?"  (It had been, and in fact mom had picked out the color.)  I was also there when mom realized that the football players on television were wearing orange shoes. It was then I learned that the cataracts on her eyes had prevented her from seeing full color for years. In fact she had lost much of her sight. This explained a lot of things - including her reluctance to finish a large needlepoint piece that was 95 percent complete; that she no longer drove the 50 miles to Madison to shop; and the cobwebs on the ceiling of her apartment (she would "die" if she knew I was writing this).

Since that first week in January mom has had her other eye done and can see quite well.  What a gift technology can be to families.  This time I didn't have to choose between mom and NCFR.