Carpooling

My husband and I live in a small town about 25 minutes from the nearest town in which there are any job opportunities.  We live about 40 minutes away from where I work.  His parents live in the nearer town, and let us keep a car there so that we can carpool for the first 25 minutes, as that town is on the way to pretty much anywhere else for us.

So, each day, my husband, son, and I spend at least 50 minutes in the car together; 25 minutes to town, and 25 back.  Our son is almost two and doesn’t do a whole lot of talking, yet, so he sits mostly content in the back, with the occasional, “tractor!” shout.  (There are many tractors on the way, as they are constructing another two-lane section of road.)  My husband and I use that time to catch up, to listen to audiobooks together, and even to talk out areas of conflict.

I am thankful that we carpool together, that it is a guaranteed available time for us to spend together.  We don’t always spend it as wisely as we should, perhaps favoring the audiobook over resolving issues, but it is always there to be used.  Even though I wish we didn’t live so far out, I am glad that God has used it to give us this time together.  It has been invaluable for our marriage, and it is a good lesson that we will need to be very intentional about our time together if and when we do get the chance to move.