In the mid-1970s I was chatting with a psychiatrist prior to a meeting. He was about 20 years older than I was. I had attended several conferences at which he presented and I was impressed with his empathy and clinical intuitiveness. He displayed a sense of warmth that allowed others to feel comfortable and at ease. He had also referred several patients to me, providing us with an opportunity to discuss clinical work and for me to learn from him. He asked about my sons, Rich and Doug, who were seven and four years old at the time. I replied that I was having a lot of fun with them and they were a joy. I asked about his son Sean, who had recently started college. He replied that Sean appeared to be enjoying his first couple of months at college but then paused and a sad expression appeared on his face. His subsequent comments were not what I had expected, especially given my perception of him. After a few moments he advised, “Spend as much time as you can with your kids, Bob. When my wife and I said goodbye to Sean at college, I couldn’t help but wonder…
