Re: LEAVING THE FAMILY
Eventually the kids (now, adults themselves) scatter to the winds. Mine literally span the globe right now. Grandchildren are no different.
My spouse and I decided the best thing we can offer is the knowledge that we are not dependent upon the kids, shall not be a burden to them, and demonstrate stability and security. They know where we always are, and that in itself is security.
What we like is the fact that family can visit TV and see a place where folks are still civil to each other (for the most part!), neighbors act neighborly, community action is not a political buzzword but a reality, and that God and Country are not alien terms. If they can see that folk still live like that, then we're providing them a gift of what life used to be for us when we were young and can still be today. Unfortunately, places like this are disappearing from the landscape.
Do my kids need me? Depends on how you define "need." The question is really whether parents need the kids rather than the other way around.
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