On the Other Side of Parenthood

The children are grown and have lives and homes of their own.  We don't see them often anymore but we hear enough from each of "The Three Musketeers" to know they are happy, working, and figuring out life on their own terms. They certainly have turned out well! They really don't need us anymore. Having those children was a magical time for both of us.  We never knew what that would be like and now we look back.

My Sweetheart, (husband) and I find now that the children are out of the house, we like meeting for lunch near one of his clients business, on any given day of the week.  And when he goes out of town for the night I love to go with him, stay at the motel, and the next day walk around the city, visit museums, meet new people, browse another book store, while he works all day, and I meet him for lunch and dinner before heading back home.

Yesterday he headed to Pennsylvania and I had to work, so I did not go with him.  His thoughts went to me as he recalled traveling down those roads to see me in Toms River, N.J. where I lived the year before we got married.  He remembered how much in love he was with me and how excited he was to visit me again.  We never thought of children then, ever.  We were young and in love.  

I remember living in a house on the bay and my bedroom was in the back of the house behind the garage.  He would arrive after midnight and I would open my back window and this 6'3" man would hoist himself through the small window to sleep in my twin bed.  We did not want to wake my roommates up in the middle of the night.

We did not have children for 6 years after we married and had considered not having any at all.

Now 38 years later, time has passed so quickly and we have three people to carry on and prove we were here.  How could we have ever known that those three babies would be the rudder by which we steered our teachings to them, how could we have known that those three would be the lighthouse by which we made all decisions of how and where we lived, how could we have known those three would be more fun, joy, and happy times, than we had ever known before them?

Two kids sneaking to be together in the night, not knowing much about life or love but willing to take the chance with each other. It is comfortable to be here with our memories, dating again and looking back at how we got here.  Nice to know that I always have a date for Saturday night and any other day, sleeping next to me.  And I still like him a lot...