There have been many times in my life when 100 miles didn’t seem like a huge journey. I grew up in a small town. We drove 80 miles one way to reach a city with urban amenities. These days, another town about 60 miles away offers airline service, but when I was young, the larger city was the only place to board an airplane. We thought nothing of making a trip of 160 miles to pick someone up from the airport.

After we graduated from seminary, we were 150 miles from an airport served by airlines in one direction and 180 miles in another direction. We viewed the two destinations as nearly equal and made trips departing from both airports. We visited both cities to purchase items that were not available in our town. We drove our son to medical appointments without thinking much of it.

For my entire pastoral career, I served congregations that were in a different time zone from the conference office. I was used to driving to attend meetings. When we lived in Rapid City, I joked that Chamberlain was the perfect place to hold church meetings because those of us in the west would drive 210 miles to get there, while the people from Sioux Falls would drive 140 miles and believe they had come halfway. Making the round trip and attending a meeting in one day was a standard practice.

It has sometimes been hard for me to explain to colleagues in the eastern parts of the United States how much I enjoy wide open spaces and don’t mind driving distances to visit colleagues, obtain services, and participate in church meetings.

I have noticed, however, that in retirement, I don’t drive as much as I once did. We take a few road trips and plan to embark on a multi-state journey next month, but our lives have settled into a routine with fewer long trips.

When we decided to move to the Pacific Northwest upon retirement, I thought we might go to Seattle frequently, but it has turned out that we don’t make the trip very often. Part of the reason is that Seattle is approximately 100 miles away, while Vancouver, BC, is only about 40 miles away. Both urban centers offer international airports and a full range of city services. Given the differences in healthcare between the two nations, we don’t go to Canada for medical appointments, but we have most services available within a short drive. I did have one procedure performed in Seattle, but that is the only trip of that distance we’ve made since moving.

It isn’t just a matter of distance. Seattle is a big city with a tight urban core. The space between the Puget Sound and the mountains means that the majority of traffic must be compressed into two north-south highways. A trip to SeaTac airport can take between two and three hours, depending on traffic.

Yesterday, however, I was excited to make the trip to SeaTac. Our daughter and her family flew in from their home in South Carolina. They had a long day of riding, flying from South Carolina to Washington, D.C., and then to Seattle. After we picked them up at the airport, they rode another two hours to our house. Their day was further stretched out due to the time zone difference. Their home is three hours ahead of ours.

My trip of a hundred miles to the airport and another hundred back was small compared to theirs. And my reward for making the trip was tremendous. Within a few minutes of our arrival at home, our son pulled into our driveway with his children. Having both our children and all five of our grandchildren in our house is one of those indescribable joys. Soon, our back deck was filled with laughter and stories. We blew soap bubbles and ate popsicles. We took silly pictures, and the children played games.

Even before we had children, I could imagine myself as a grandfather. It is something I have always wanted. Still, it is a bit surprising to me that I have become a patriarch. I’m the older one who hasn’t seen the movies being discussed and is often unfamiliar with the songs being played. My schedule is much more flexible than that of our children, and I am free from some of the pressures they feel when raising children and juggling careers.

Our two children live almost as far apart as possible on the North American continent, and they are not able to be together very often. However, when they do get together, the stories and laughter come quickly. They are not only siblings, but also friends, and their friendship means the world to me. Watching grandchildren greet each other and hug is one of life’s most profound blessings.

We are quick to complain about the challenges of long-distance travel. Among the stories we shared last night were those of all the extra fees one has to pay after purchasing a ticket to fly with the airlines. Seat fees and luggage fees are high enough to dissuade one from buying food on an airliner. All of those services used to be included in the purchase price of an airline ticket. Those days are no more. We had to throw in a few memories of long lines and challenges navigating airport security in our conversation last night.

Whatever it costs, it is well worth it. I might complain about prices, but I am grateful that our children consider family travel a priority and are willing to invest in getting together.

Our time will pass quickly, and it's all too brief. Still, this morning, I’m looking forward to a delightful week in which I lay aside my worries and watch as cousins renew their friendships, siblings share their stories, and everyone is gracious to grandpa, who may move a bit slower and take a bit longer to remember, but who is as happy as anyone can imagine.