My oldest step-son moved out a couple of months ago, and it’s been a bit of an adjustment, getting used to not having him around. He still stops by to visit from time to time (when we bug him to), but overall he’s a typical young man who is developing a life of his own. This got me pondering about what life will be like once all the kids are finally gone.

I guess I’ve always been a bit of a family guy, and so I’ve never minded having my kids around. I love that they’re old enough to not worry about when I’m gone, but just knowing that they’re in the house is comforting. Yet, I know that there are many possibilities for the second half of my life, and having kids living with me forever makes it hard to have those things happen. Therefore, there comes a time to let go and hope that kids make the right choices, and be the good adults that you’ve raised them to be.

We have made space for some new traditions in this new reality. For the past few Monday’s we’ve had everyone over for a nice grill-out and just a simple evening of hanging out. It’s cool to see the kids fall into their old routines, just like it was yesterday. Sitting around eating great summer food and talking about silly dumb stuff. As our relationships change, I’m excited to see what these adult relationships look like, yet I still miss some of the simpler times every now and then.