TRIP OF A LIFETIME
It was one of those epic family moments - sitting around the TV, covered in blankets, laughter and Cheez-its until a loud thud and swerve knocked us off our perches. Reality had rudely interrupted the show by way of a traffic barrel smack dab in the middle of our first RV road trip.
That roadside moment -like so many others- would come to shape and define our life together. For in marriage, as in asphalt journeys, isn’t it more about the trip than the destination?
I started riding shotgun years before seat belts and bucket seats were the norm. Sitting on his lap riding down the highway, neither of us worried about who was manning the controls. Our eyes were glued on each other more than they were on the road those days. A dip was a thrill, not an obstacle.
Vacations soon looked different with new passengers. We packed up all our belongings to gain a different perspective which sometimes included creatures crawling under motel sheets and unplanned free-falls from baby swings. I was so focused on juice boxes that I failed to see the growing burden my husband carried alongside the folding crib. Exhausted, I left him to drive while I shut my eyes to the scenery.
The odometer marked off sporting events and college visits until one day we loaded champagne and yards of ivory tulle to gather at a sandy beach with water the color of our daughter’s eyes. As each mile drew us closer, we sadly unloaded a suitcase that would not be traveling back with us. We arrived a trio, but I left alone, work always pulling us apart.
A quick refill of the tires put us back on the road in no time flat, unaware of the thinning treads of indifference until a patch of black ice. As we spun uncontrollably, the air filled with our tears and white-knuckled prayers. Upon a miraculous halt, we found God’s grace to unpack the items we no longer needed to carry and declare ourselves again unswerving partners on the trip of a lifetime.
Funny thing after that day- the road no longer lulled me to sleep, but became a joy ride once again as we both scooted over and passed the keys to the original Owner.
Happy 36 years, my love. I’d go anywhere with you.
“Wherever you go, I will go…”
Ruth 1:16