Graduates

I was thinking Sunday, as I saw the high school graduates walk across the stage, their parents are going through what Christine and I had to go through 3 times already. If it was their first child they were all heart broken about their little babies leaving home. If if were the second or last child leaving, their feeling were a little different. They felt like Martin Luther King, "Free At Last, Free At Last..."

It is a natural progression to have your child grow up and leave home. The problem comes after the first year when they come home again. They don't want to be there and you wouldn't mind if they weren't. Having an 'empty nest' is not so bad. When they are not at home there are cookies in the jar, milk in the frig, and TV and lights are off at a decent hour. Their bed stays made and their room stays clean. There is less laundry to do and Mom and Dad can go out to eat whenever they want. There are no strange people coming to your house at all hours to watch movies, so you can sit around in your underwear. You don't worry about where they are or when they are coming home . No more putting someone on restriction because we all know their restriction restricts you also (sometimes more) . No more checking homework or getting calls from the teacher. The list goes on and on.

Some graduate and stay at home. That is another blog!

Don't worry, time changes things. Soon you will wish they would call or come home more. You miss all the things that used to get on your nerves. You stay home from a dinner out with your spouse because they might stop by for a visit. The list goes on and on...

Graduation is confusing, for parent and child!