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Hey Dad,

Just got back from the windy city of Duluth, Minnesota. In a nutshell … 1200 miles, 24 hours of driving, and 170 gallons of gas … but because we have a bathroom in our RV—no bathroom stops!! I know I said I was going to try to enjoy the ride and smell the flowers, but it was easier said than done (especially with one eye on the road and the other on the gas gauge, which moved faster than the speedometer).

While we were there, we had a great time encouraging dads and moms in the things that are most important. I was reminded again how hard marriage and parenting really is. I met a lot of wives who desperately want and need their husbands to be involved in the family.

The thing is … we dads seem to be awfully busy nowadays. We're working or traveling a lot of hours, and when we're home, we have our "projects." Our wives are trying to make up for our absence, but they're struggling. They need us to be there, to encourage them, to hold them if they cry, to protect them, and to be their knights in shining armor.

I know my wife needs me to do those things. I let her down last weekend. I didn't tell you about the hard part of RVing. The shower didn't work, space was cramped, and the kids were exhausted and irritable.

She got upset, and I was bothered.

I was bothered that she was acting so … weak. I wanted her to buck up and enjoy the adventure. It was later that I remembered that that's how she was created: a fragile, exquisite vessel that needs to be cherished.

Your wife is the same. She may act tough and look like she can handle it all, but the truth is, she can't. She needs her man … she wants her man. You can't delegate it, do it over the phone, or catch up on the weekend. You gotta be there.

Dad, maybe you need to leave work a little earlier today, pick up a bunch of flowers from Wal–Mart, and hold her in your arms "just to talk" after the kids go to bed.

That's what I need to do.

You 'da husband!

[Todd]

©Copyright Todd Wilson, 2004. Used by permission.

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