What retirement??
When I think back to how we started out, I wonder if things would have been different had we lived close to family. We were not sweet children...we were extremely independent. We went to college far from home, got married far from home, lived and traveled very far from home, had our children (except one) far from home. We did it together and survived all the good and happy and all the bad and unhappy. There is only one time (at the end of college) that we asked for monetary help.
Don't get me wrong...we loved our families and wanted our children to do the same. What we couldn't do, is what we can't do for two of our children who have chosen to live FAR away from home. The two who live close by often have needs on the same day. It's a good thing we are both retired.
Yesterday we had agreed to babysit the almost two year old all day. He came early and we enjoyed a morning of fun outside. At 11:00 he was done. We came in and ate an early lunch and off for a nap he went. He did not even squawk once.
At that time we got a call from Child 2 -- I need help because one of my drivers did not come in. It was fortunate that the grandson was in bed. I went and helped him while Arie stayed home and listened for distress calls while he continued working on a project. He woke up 1/2 hour before I got back. It was great timing.
The day went on like that as we switched between babysitting and things we had to do. It all got done and it was great fun hanging out with the little guy! We are fortunate to be able to get to know our grandson.
So, had we lived closer to our families, would our kids have gotten to know the grands better? Have better memories of family? Would our parents stepped in? etc. I hope so.
Don't get me wrong...we loved our families and wanted our children to do the same. What we couldn't do, is what we can't do for two of our children who have chosen to live FAR away from home. The two who live close by often have needs on the same day. It's a good thing we are both retired.
Yesterday we had agreed to babysit the almost two year old all day. He came early and we enjoyed a morning of fun outside. At 11:00 he was done. We came in and ate an early lunch and off for a nap he went. He did not even squawk once.
At that time we got a call from Child 2 -- I need help because one of my drivers did not come in. It was fortunate that the grandson was in bed. I went and helped him while Arie stayed home and listened for distress calls while he continued working on a project. He woke up 1/2 hour before I got back. It was great timing.
The day went on like that as we switched between babysitting and things we had to do. It all got done and it was great fun hanging out with the little guy! We are fortunate to be able to get to know our grandson.
So, had we lived closer to our families, would our kids have gotten to know the grands better? Have better memories of family? Would our parents stepped in? etc. I hope so.
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