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Hey Dad,

We're home—not for a stop-off, but for good. I'm telling you, there's nothing like the pure ecstasy of going into a regular bathroom, taking as much time as you want, and using as much toilet paper as you want and never having to see it again.

The only drawback of getting home is the mountain of stuff that needs attention. There are cars to fix (how do they get broken when no one has driven them?), landscapes to tame, and a big RV that needs to be emptied (3½ months' worth of junk, souvenirs, and supplies).

My kids would like to take it easy and kick back (which we've allowed), but I'm often calling up to their rooms and saying, "Boys, there's work to be done."

But that's not the real work. The real work isn't something that can be checked off a list that easily. The real work has to do with my family. You see, the last couple of months in the crucible have brought some ugly stuff to the surface—not only in my children, but also in me.

Along with some pretty spectacular sights, we have also seen some bad attitudes, crummy responses, lack of obedience, and overall yuckiness that need to be dealt with. That's the great thing about living in a crucible: It reveals what was already there to begin with, but needed a little coaxing to see. Life on the road does just that.

The really awful thing about the whole deal is that so much of the "dross" I saw in them is the same "dross" I see in me. I heard stuff coming out of their mouths and said, "Don't talk like that!," only to hear the same things come out of my mouth 15 minutes later.

So after using this week to rest and relax (yeah, right!), we start on all the hard work. We'll meet on the screened-in porch and talk about what we all need to work on, how we plan to do that, and what will be expected of them—and me.

I wish I had some kind of magic formula, special pill, or some incredible method to share with you so you can work on the "dross" in your family too. But there is no more of a magical potion for cleaning up the crud in your life than there is for cleaning up the crud in your yard.

It's just hard work … led by a dad.

And guess what?

You 'da dad.

Boys, there's work to be done,

© 2008 Todd Wilson. Used by permission.

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