Twenty-Three

After 36 hours of work and 7.5 hours of commuting in the last 2 days, my husband loaded up our off-roader to take the kids camping. He has to be back up for work at 3am on Friday, but that doesn’t stop him from grabbing on to these few precious hours he has with them. He’s exhausted. He’s worn out. Yet, with excitement, he puts in the effort to show up and be a memory maker for our kids. They don’t fully recognize the sacrifices their dad makes for them- the long hours of work, the endless hours commuting, the small amount of sleep-but they fully recognize the joy in being with him. Like them, I miss him when he’s gone and feel the peace when he’s home. Unlike them, I understand the sacrifices he’s making. I see the tiredness. I see the stress. I see the pressure. Understanding it doesn’t always mean showing appreciation for it though.

But, moments like this morning when Preston woke me up at 4:50 saying “Mama, can I tell you something? I am so excited to go camping!” And seeing the giddiness in their faces as they buckle up to head off to the mountains makes me realize just how special the man I married is. There are dads with a lot more time who get a lot more sleep yet they invest way less time into their families. His effort to love us well isn’t unnoticed.

As they loaded into the off-roader, yelling “Bye mama! Bye baby!” I couldn’t help but think of the country song lyrics “There goes my life. There goes my everything.” And I was instantly grateful that they are mine.