On The Road

Somewhere in the middle of Texas, off Highway 287 at a very nice rest area. With a playground. And WiFi. Something unimaginable when I was in the back seat of a '67 Ford watching the miles click away through the plains of Dakota. Who'd have thunk it? WiFi and ecologically-friendly rest areas.

So, the kids are stretching and burning some energy. Which is good, as the trip, while certainly not bad, has had some challenging moments. Nothing unexpected, nor anything of great significance. Just children being...well, children.

My wife and I have had to remind each other of the need to let kids be kids, and to see that the training process is a long one. Now, that seems especially the case on a road trip of 13 hours in a day. There are some "incidents" on any such trip, but the thing we - I - must remember is that the parenting task extends to all circumstances, and is one which requires special patience and grace when a bunch of us are in the car/truck.

On this particular venture, we're dealing with a lot of emotions. After visiting the grandparents' place, we're all adjusting to life as we know it to normally be. The routines, disciplines and expectations experienced in our home have been missing, and now we're slowly "re-entering."

Grace, Lord, give us grace. Only 500 miles to go today.

And here they are! Playtime is over, and we need to get back. On the road. Again.

Sounds like a good song title.