I'm a Lousy Bachelor

Over the weekend, my wife and baby girl headed to visit family in North Carolina while I stayed behind because of work. What would I do with a whole weekend to myself, to do whatever I wanted? Well, after staying with friends Thursday and Friday, I got some things done around the church Saturday, did some final sermon prep, and then realized how quickly playing video games alone gets old. By around dinnertime Saturday, while I was driving out to get Chinese takeout, I was ready to have my girls back.

It's strange how we change over time. I've always been the type of guy who enjoys time alone - and I still do - but it gets depressing far more quickly nowadays. I love to cook, but I subsisted on takeout and frozen dinners for the weekend because I just couldn't churn up the motivation to cook for only me. Sunday night, I was talking to one of our deacons at church, who said, "It's funny how once you've got a family, it just doesn't seem right when they aren't around." How true that is. God has wired us for relationships, and when the deepest ones you have are gone, even only briefly, there's a void that nothing else can really fill. I've always tried to take joy from the small things in life - a good movie or game, a relaxing evening, or even just driving around town on a cool fall night. However, I'd trade you 100 years of bachelor-themed joy for the joy of 4:30 yesterday afternoon: pulling up to the airport terminal, receiving a kiss from my wife and a smile from my baby girl.