We have the awesome privilege of getting away together as a couple to speak around the country on the topic of marriage. We love what we get to do, but even so, as we are surrounded by 500-1500 people, we are not alone! We love that we have various ministries in which we are involved, but often we have to divide and conquer (one staying home/one going) in order to be a part of the event. Very seldom is it just us—Joe and I alone.
Our son is now 36 years old and with special needs such that he can be alone for a short while, but not for hours and hours and certainly not for overnight or a weekend. Because of that, it limits some things we can (or can’t) do. Example:
- It’s difficult to meet friends for dinner if the plans are too far away, because it would take too long to get home if we needed to. (If we are out, even for a walk, we have taught Joey how to use a phone on which he can press REDIAL and call us! Usually, it’s to tell us the score of a game he’s watching or a game he’s playing, but on occasion he has also expressed—in his limited vocabulary—that he’d like us to come home from time to time.)
- We can’t get away alone as a couple, like our empty-nester friends, whether it be for an overnight, a weekend, or a week’s vacation, unless we plan to have Cindi’s sister Sue or one of our daughters care for Joey.
