We've survived quite a few challenges as parents. First there was the baby stage when, with number 1 child (the Gorgeous Girlie), we didn't have a clue and had to rely on books and the wisdom of our own parents and other well meaning relatives and friends (some of whom hadn't actually had children but were more than happy to dole out advice). We fell instantly in love with this little being we had created and, as older parents, were happy to adjust to a very different lifestyle. Then came the toddler stage and that momentous day when Gorgeous Girlie went to play group - and survived two hours without us. Pre school nursery and then infant school followed, with longer spells away from home and us. Then along came number 2 child, The Boy, and life changed again. When he was about three days old I remember Gorgeous Girlie (at that point she was 5 years old) asking her daddy who he loved best, her or her brother. And yes, he did give the right answer!. We've experienced lots of I suppose you could call them rites of passage since, with Gorgeous Girlie as the first born paving the way: sleepovers at friends' houses, the move to junior and then secondary school, the weekend and holiday job in a supermarket, that biggie - the first boyfriend, exams, sixth form college, nights out at the pub and clubs, driving lessons and the first car. Then came university and with it long spells away from home and more independence. Yes, we still paid the bills but she was having to take care of herself for months at a time. After university, despite the earlier proclamations that she wouldn't dream of returning to the backwater that we call our home town, Gorgeous Girlie did in fact come back whilst she decided what she would do with the rest of her life (having discovered that a career in medicine wasn't for her after all). Various jobs followed and she now seems to have found her niche in business management. She's also found The Boyfriend - who lives 2 hours drive away from where we live. Most of the last year has involved Gorgeous Girlie spending weekends with him. Admittedly he does live in a city which has more to offer in lots of respects. And so we face the next big challenge as parents - the day the Gorgeous Girlie leaves home. She has a new job near to where The BF lives and next weekend is moving into the house he part owns and shares with a number of other people. So the last couple of weeks have involved lots of sorting, sifting and packing as she decides what to dump, what to store and what to take with. (Of course, her brother is planning to move into her room once it's been emptied as it's bigger than his). And so I've come to realise that, whenever she comes home in the future, it will be as a visitor and that the most important things in her life are now elsewhere. As The Husband tells me, it's what happens. It's about growing up. And growing away.
