Home Alone

  For most parents, our own lives get put on the back burner while our children are younger. No more clubbing or expensive dinners. Spur of the moment vacations disappear. Movies are a luxury...as is going to the bathroom alone.

  But as the years go by we slowly, little by little, start to regain our personal lives. One child is old enough to look after the others while you run to the grocery. Which then means, as a couple, you can have coffee. Soon there are early bird dinners then 7 o'clock-start movies. We get a brief taste of our freedom.

  Suddenly you have a house full of teenagers who couldn't care less if you are home or not as long as there is enough food in the house to sustain them. Or they need a drive somewhere. Then we feel an overwhelming need to be there with them because, well they are teenagers.

  While we all long sometimes for those care free days of our youth, this second-time-around freedom comes with a cost. Our babies are gone. We have raised, hopefully, independent, self-reliant young adults who want to be creating their own lives. Away from us. 

  I am a long way from that scenario. Alex has four more years of high school. Riley has eight before he moves on to higher education. That feels like a long time but in reality the years will pass in the blink of an eye. Before we know it John and I will be here alone.

  Now if only we have some money left when they leave!

  Ang