There are important dates in people’s lives. When these relevant events come up, we have to be sure that we’d be available to spend it with our loved ones. We have to share moments like Birthdays, Christmas, New Year— and in this story— my wife’s Australian citizenship oath-taking ceremony. Let me give you a bit of background. My wife worked extremely hard to be a citizen of Australia. When she got the opportunity to study here, she grabbed it. That started the long and winding road to citizenship. It took her almost a decade, but after all her hard work, it finally came to that day, the day of her oath taking ceremony. I’ll back down a few weeks. My wife informed me that she received an invitation to the event. I was extremely and sincerely happy for her, but I missed the hint that our chat was a sign for me to file for a leave. Move forward to oath-taking day. I got ready for work. When I saw her in the kitchen preparing breakfast I greeted her with a warm “Good morning citizen!” She responded with a death stare, but I ignorantly walked to the table and sat down. She then dropped my plate of bacon and eggs with enthusiasm that I thought it would shatter in front of me. I couldn’t help it, so I asked, “Why are you acting this way and why do you look sad?” She responded, “How come you're not going to be there for my oath taking ceremony?” My face turned red. I knew I blew it. The commute to work felt like the longest train ride I’ve ever had. There was a debate in my head about priorities and how being at work had the most advantage for our family, but my heart felt like a silverback gorilla was crushing it. When I got to the office, I talked to my colleague, and it didn’t even take him five seconds to respond “Leave, I’ll cover for you!” And so I went, the train ride towards the oath-taking venue felt very exciting because this time I had the opportunity to surprise her. I even bought flowers. When my wife saw me at the ceremony, her face lit up and gave me her sweet smile that I always long for. It was a good day. 1 Timothy 3:4 ESV He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive The Bible says a Christian man should be able to establish his family. If I do well with my career and fail to create a loving and caring home, then I haven’t gained anything at all. We should set our priorities straight. Be available on important occasions.