Life Changes

by Christie Kelley

My oldest son graduated high school on June 3rd. It was a lovely ceremony filled with laughter, tears, and some wonderful memories. As I sat in the stands watching the some of the children that I’ve known since my son was in second grade, it hit me that not only is my son’s life changing, but mine as well. It was time to realize that my son was now an adult.

What a strange concept!

The idea of having another adult in the house is finally starting to sink in. He still won’t be 18 until July 4th, but he certainly isn’t a child any longer. I started noticing the change him in about a year ago as he came out of the hormone induced middle teen years. Suddenly, my son wasn’t just telling me what video game he’d played that day, he was talking to me on an adult level. We were having philosophical conversations about life and the world.

And the truth is, I love it.

He’s turned out to be a wonderful young man. I count myself fortunate that he’s decided to live at home for two more years and attend the local community college before transferring to a bigger university.

My younger son just turned 13 so as he enters those awful teen years, it’s nice know that he too will eventually come out of it. Hopefully, he will get through those years as well as my oldest did.

All these things made me think about other upcoming changes that we all go through. Several of the bandits are going through their own changes. Some have children leaving for college this year. Others will be empty nesters for the first time. Others have to deal with an ailing parent. I know change is supposed to be good, but it can cause all kinds of emotions to run through us, too. It's nice to know we can share these emotions with our friends.

So what about you? Do you have any upcoming life changes you’re dealing with? If you have children, how will you (or did you) deal with your kids leaving home whether for college or for good?