There’s Nothing Wrong with Parents Who Are Absent Because They’re Working

You don’t know how many times I’ve had to endure people complaining about their parents working too hard, putting ambition over their own family, or even not caring about them enough just because they were mostly ‘absent’ in their life. During these moments, I can’t help but think about how these people might have been staring at an unfinished puzzle piece all along. They know their own side of the story, yet for some reason, they never bothered to consider what the other side had to say about this.

Whenever I’d encounter people like this, I’d always end up wondering: Why does society demonize parents who are always absent when actually, they’re working hard to make ends meet?

Take a look at the award-winning film, The Devil Wear’s Prada, and you can immediately see what I mean here. The film’s supposed antagonist, Miranda Priestly, is depicted as a cutthroat boss whose demanding nature suffocates that of her employees. She’s described as an overly ambitious woman as her passion for the fashion industry soars high above the clouds.

A lot of people tend to hate this type of character, yet I would have to disagree with them because I believe that the character’s relentless pursuit of her goals is truly ever so admirable.

Being the editor-in-chief of a high-end fashion magazine, it is obvious that Miranda has definitely worked her life off just to be able to attain that prestigious position. She was a driven leader, someone who worked tirelessly and strived for perfection. What’s so wrong about that? People can argue that her character seems to have no other care in the world aside from work, work, and work. They can say that Miranda just doesn’t care about her children, who we don’t see much of in the film.

Well, I hate to break it to you, but I think you may have misunderstood something.

An individual who values work like Miranda does care about her children deeply. She just shows it differently. In the film, Miranda’s love for her daughters can be seen as she would do anything for them, even if it meant obtaining the unpublished manuscript of the Harry Potter series. Just because someone values work a lot doesn’t automatically make that person into a heartless tyrant, you know?

Don’t get me wrong. I have parents who work hard, yet I never once thought of them as uncaring towards their children. I never thought that them working from day to night was a form of negligence; I never thought that having them absent during certain occasions because of work was some sort of an unloving or cruel act.

As a matter of fact, I admired their sheer efforts to provide me a life with comfort, and I am truly grateful that I had been blessed with parents like them.

Now, let me ask you once again. What’s so wrong with working hard?

Nothing.

There shouldn’t be any problem with working day and night to get where you want to be. It’s your life, your ambition, and most of all, your happiness. Don’t let anyone else dictate how you should live your life.

What do you think? Let us know!