Save The Marriage EBook My parents live over 6 hours from us but my children have been fortunate to be able to spend a week each by themselves being spoiled by their grandparents. We always plan the weeks back-to-back and meet after the first week at a half-way point to exchange children. A few years back at the end of the two weeks our son needed to be retrieved. So my parents were going to meet us at the half-way point. I thought to myself “there really is no reason to drag us all there just to grab my son and turn around to come home.� The week before I had had to spend most of the week at a work conference away from home. But while I was away I explained this to my wife thinking “wow what a relief it will be for her and my daughter to not have to spend 7 hours in the car.� I flew in Friday evening confirmed the plans for Saturday and went to bed. I was pretty proud of myself! (That should have been my first clue!) Saturday morning bright and early I struck out. Nobody was even up yet. So there I was driving across the state and starting through the mountains. The story I was telling myself? What a hero I was! Everyone at home would enjoy a relaxing day we would be back by mid-afternoon and hey I was sacrificing “taking one for the team!� Imagine my surprise when I called home and my daughter answered. I quickly realized all was NOT OK on the homefront! She asked where I was. I told her I was in the mountains about 45 minutes from picking up her brother. She was quiet and said “mom’s mad.� Then I lost reception. When I finally got to better reception I realized that in my zeal to be the hero I didn’t really listen to my wife. She hadn’t so much agreed as had little chance to disagree. She was wanting to go wanting to ride with me wanting to spend those hours in the car. I had been gone for several days and now was gone again. I would have the joy of hearing about my son’s week. I would see my parents not her.