Dad's reminder to prioritize kids over work after losing his son is heartbreaking

In our pursuit of success, we often neglect our loved ones. J.R. Storment, a dad and co-founder, shared a heart-wrenching reminder on LinkedIn about the importance of spending time with family. He revealed that he lost his son in a tragedy and learned some painful lessons he wanted to share. “Eight years ago, during the same month, I had twin boys and co-founded Cloudability. About three months ago, Cloudability was acquired. About three weeks ago, we lost one of our boys,” he wrote.  

The dad recalled the horrendous moment he received the call from his wife. He was at a conference where he had admitted minutes ago that he hadn't taken “more than a contiguous week off." “I was still walking through the door when I answered with ‘Hey, what’s up?’ Her reply was icy and immediate: ‘J.R. Wiley is dead,’” the dad wrote. The dad was baffled and didn't know how to respond. Devastated and anxious, Storment ran to and fro in his office campus till a colleague offered to drive him home. 

“By the time I got home twelve minutes later, our cul-de-sac was packed with emergency vehicles. I sprinted through our open front door and ran straight towards the bedroom that the boys shared. When a child dies suddenly, it becomes a potential crime scene,” he explained. The dad wasn’t allowed to see his son as there were medical procedures to be completed. After a wait of 2.5 hours, they were allowed in. “An eerie calm came over me. I laid down next to him in the bed that he loved, held his hand and kept repeating, ‘What happened, buddy? What happened?’” the dad recalled in anguish. 

After being with his boy, Storment led him in a body bag into the van. Aching for his son, he remembered the boy's ambition to own a business and be married. The dad mentioned that his heart broke to see that the two remained but a dream for his boy. The boy passed away in his sleep peacefully but the dad regrets not having done so much that he could have in the short time he had. “Many have asked what they can do to help. Hug your kids. Don’t work too late. A lot of the things you are likely spending your time on you’ll regret once you no longer have the time,” he wrote. 

“I’m guessing you have 1:1 meetings on the books with a lot of people you work with. Do you have them regularly scheduled with your kids? If there’s any lesson to take away from this, it’s to remind others (and myself) not to miss out on the things that matter,” the dad added. Storment also mentioned that he is doing everything he can to make things different for his twin son, Oliver. The dad quoted Wiley’s favorite song, “Enjoy Yourself (It’s later than you think).” The words read, “Enjoy yourself, it's later than you think. Enjoy yourself, while you're still in the pink. The years go by, as quickly as a wink. Enjoy yourself, enjoy yourself, it's later than you think.”