bonding

When people first hear about this trip, the most common reaction is “That’s the coolest thing I’ve ever heard!” And then, after digesting the concept for a few minutes, most adults add, “What a great bonding experience for you and your son.” Absolutely.

Logan and I had a great relationship to begin with, but our mutual understanding and camaraderie has certainly jumped a couple of levels since our frequency of interaction rose to 24/7! This has strengthened our bond in ways I’m sure I don’t even appreciate yet. As Logan advances through his teenage years, he’ll encounter sex, drugs, petty crime, and other adolescent pitfalls. In the wake of this trip, I anticipate that he’ll still feel comfortable confiding in me – and hopefully even heeding my counsel!

As a side-effect of this trip, Logan’s mom and big sister have had their own “bonding experience” back home, comprised of jointly running the house, nightly dinners for two, weekly chick-flicks, and plenty of heart-to-heart talks about boyfriends, growing up, college, and the latest high school social crisis. In my absence, they’ve even bunked together sometimes, talking late into the night. The fortification of their relationship is the silver lining on the loneliness of staying home.

2010 promises major life changes for our family. We’re planning to move to another state, my daughter will leave behind the security of her high school and childhood home, Logan will enter some fresh, unknown educational situation, and I’ll start a new job. These new challenges will test us, to be sure, but as a result of this past year, we’re well prepared to face them.

(a longer version of this post will appear this week on the blog Band of Fathers)