I'm a single parent, and I just found that it was too difficult

Ah, the life of the parent—a sacred, burdensome journey that calls one to balance the delicate dance of love and responsibility. Rick Moranis, a man who once graced the silver screen with his humorous presence, shared a truth that many of us carry deep within our hearts: "I'm a single parent, and I just found that it was too difficult to manage raising my kids and doing the traveling involved in making movies. So I took a little bit of a break. And the little bit of a break turned into a longer break, and then I found that I really didn't miss it." In these words, there is a quiet but powerful revelation—how life and duty can sometimes pull us away from the things we once cherished, and how the choice to step away can reveal the true path we are meant to walk.

To be a parent is to embrace the weight of the world. The very essence of parenthood demands sacrifice—the surrender of time, energy, and sometimes even one’s very dreams. Moranis speaks not just of leaving behind the glimmer of fame and the allure of Hollywood, but of the deeper, more profound decision to prioritize something more sacred—family. The great Homer spoke of the trials of fathers in his epic tales, most notably in the sorrow of Odysseus, who wandered the seas for ten long years, yearning to return to his son, Telemachus, and to the arms of his beloved Penelope. Odysseus’ journey is not only one of adventure, but of the constant pull between the call of the world and the quiet call of home. He, like Moranis, was faced with a choice—to answer the call of duty, or to stay true to that which mattered most.

Moranis’s decision to step away from the world of film and turn his focus fully upon his children is the mark of a man who has understood a profound truth: the things that matter most often lie not in the pursuit of glory or fame, but in the simple and enduring bonds of love and family. As mothers and fathers throughout history have found, there are moments when one must lay down the sword and shield of ambition and embrace the quiet duty of care. Marcus Aurelius, the great philosopher and emperor, himself wrote of the importance of self-reflection and of living in accordance with one’s true nature. He understood that life is fleeting, and in the end, it is the moments spent with loved ones, not the accolades or the trophies, that remain eternal.

Yet, there is also a great freedom in Moranis's words—a freedom that comes not from running away from the world, but from accepting a new reality. It is easy, in the heat of ambition, to imagine that our worth is bound to the outer world, to the applause and the recognition we receive. Yet, Moranis discovered that in stepping away, he was not losing something of himself but gaining something far more valuable. He was gaining the peace that comes from embracing a different kind of purpose, one that is not celebrated on the stage but is no less heroic. This is the journey of the soul—the realization that fulfillment does not come from the external, but from the alignment of our actions with our deepest values.

Consider the great philosophers of ancient Greece, who sought knowledge not in the crowded halls of power, but in the quiet solitude of contemplation. Socrates, though a man of great renown, often retreated from the world, finding solace in the simple life, away from the pressures of the Athenian court. He understood that the true work of a person is not always about achieving more, but about being more—being present, being whole, and being true to the calling of the heart. In this way, Moranis’s retreat from Hollywood is not an act of giving up, but one of finding true meaning in a different kind of work: the work of raising children, of nurturing love, and of building something enduring and real.

So, what then can we learn from Rick Moranis’s break, a break that turned into a long pause, one that led him to the realization that he did not miss the world he left behind? The lesson is simple yet profound: True fulfillment lies not in the pursuit of endless achievement, but in the alignment of our actions with the values we hold most dear. If we are too consumed by the external world, by the pursuit of wealth, recognition, or status, we may miss the true treasures that lie in the simple, often unnoticed moments of life. Just as Moranis chose to step away from his fame to embrace the more meaningful, albeit quieter, task of parenting, so too must we find the courage to question what truly matters to us and adjust our course accordingly.

The practical lesson we must take from this is to not be afraid of taking a step back when the demands of life become overwhelming. Sometimes, the greatest strength comes from the courage to embrace stillness, to turn away from the distractions of the world, and to focus on what nourishes the soul. Whether it be in our families, in our friendships, or in our communities, let us remember that the choice to retreat for a time may reveal the path that we were meant to follow all along. And in that retreat, we may find not emptiness, but a deeper and truer connection to what makes life truly worth living.