I Think I Need A (Bank) Holiday

I got a little depressed last night, thinking about how much time I don't spend with my children while they're off school. I know work is important, and the pennies pay for the products, and I'm lucky to be in a job that I enjoy most of the time, but it still hurts that my career path has led me to a cul-de-sac that I have to stay in during the weeks that my boys are on their break from education. And if I keep working in this industry, that will be the case throughout their whole childhood. And I am only too aware that once they get to their late teens, the chance to spend lots of father/son time with them will be well and truly waning, as they find the outside world and its temptations luring them away from their family.
So it stings a little.
And it's great that, once we get past October half-term, I get to spend both days at the weekends with them, but it upsets me that right now I get in at night a bit knackered from a day at work, and have to squeeze in a little bit of time with them both before they head off to bed, and I'm normally too frazzled to really give them 100% of my energy and attention. And soon they'll be back at school and bedtime will be earlier again, and they themselves will be tired from their day and not too keen on playing with their dad.
I know I'm just being Negative Rory here and finding the shitty bits in amongst a truly wonderful situation, but it helps to type this stuff out and then read it back and see what's come out. I am missing them today, I think, and wishing I could be with them more; but I can't, because I work here, and so we just have to make the best of it.

RC 22-8-25