Meeting deadlines and being punctual are essential characteristics for freelancers. So, the worst time to be a freelancer is when you can’t do either. Of course, I relaunched my freelance career just as my mother was diagnosed with an incurable and devastating disease. The fact that I live a 12-hour flight from my parents confounds matters. I have flown six times in seven months for different lengths of time. I don’t always know when I’m going to fly until a few hours before.