One day you wake up and your life has changed.  Your kids are grown and moved out and a new life has begun.  This has happened to me and it was quite shocking at first.  You then ask yourself the question, what do I do now?  The environment is so quiet and the fast pace of kids is gone.  A new chapter has started and there is so many options.  The scary part is taking the next step.  I am now ready to  do that.  So many changes in a very short period of time.  You feel a loss and it is sad but also exciting.  I now realize this is not a loss but a wonderful new start.  My family will always be there and I will always be there for them.  Self reflection happens and you wonder have you been a good parent and done the best you can.  I am not perfect and did make mistakes along the way but I look at my kids and feel so much pride.  They are on their own roads now and it is very exciting to watch them grow and mature into young adults.  What more could a parent want.  Life is good.  I have hope for the future.

Being a parent can be very rewarding at times and then also quite challenging.  We cannot be friends with our kids during their time living at home, especially in the teen years.  Sometimes we make decisions that challenge us to the limit but we know in their future this will help them and mold them into a young adult.  It is called tough love.  Try to project in the mind long term as where you see your teen as an adult or ask them where they see themselves?  Life is about choices and we have made good and bad choices.