My youngest........and only daughter, turns 20 tomorrow (the 6th).

I feel like the 'oldest' 46 year old Dad in the world.

Does 'life' get easier now that they're 'grown & gone'?

Ours are 25 and 22! When the first got married I was older than my mother was when I got married. That was a slap in the face, because I remember how old she seemed to me. For a guy that never thought he'd see 30, I'm facing 50 right square in eye and wish I'd taken better care of myself many years ago.

Don't worry. You'll make it. Shoot ... If I can do it anyone can.

Someday when you are really feeling down I'll come meet you for some coffee, and you can tell me about your strong wife and above average kids. But I'll warn you up front ... Mine are the best, and I'll tell you all about them too.

quote:

Originally posted by GT_Dave:

Does 'life' get easier now that they're 'grown & gone'?

Tid bits of life we've all been told:

Truth - Enjoy them now, because they'll be gone before you know it.
Shock - It seemed like yesterday they came home for the first time.
Lie - When they are gone you will have more time and money than you know what to do with.
Truth - You spend more time and money going twice as far to be a part of their lives than you ever did before.
Joy - They still need us, and they appreciate it more today then ever before.

Gt,
My only daughter is 25 and i have 2 sons 24 and 22.Also have 2 grandkids by my girl (5 and 2).Fought like hell thru the teenage years and now we get along just fine.It's kinda like this forum except in person you can state your point easier.They still disagree with me on many issues but blood conquers all.If you don't have grandkids yet,wait.The older your kids get,the smarter you are to them.By the way, I'm 43.

SF

My parents forwarded an e-mail (that was going around) about how when you are parents the worry part never ends, even when your children are parents and grandparents.

I'm guessing that it doesn't get easier, especially since now that they are adults you can't "tell" them what to do without risking "losing them" even more.

My girl is 37 and my boy is 32. Grandson is 19.

I'm 61 and mom is 87. My dog died 2 weeks ago.

You're still a kid, GT! Live it Up!

After reaching the target age of 21 I just never thought much about it for years and years.

In discussions if age came up, the age of 23 years old always popped into my head and I'd have to really think what age I really was at.

Then as my kids began to pass the age of 23 the years just seemed to fly!
Where have the years gone?

Dave,
Aren't you the one that was trying to tell me a while back that while the kids are never really gone, at least there isn't a shoe pile by the door anymore?

I don't know Dave. My oldest is 21 and is having lots of troubles. My next is 20 and is a parent's dream. The next is 18 and makes us worry as he just joined the Army. The last one is 12 and takes alot of energy that somedays, we just don't feel we have, but we have to find it.

So, yup, feeling old, but I think it is just so hectic and we get tired.

We, thinking we wouldn't have children or maybe one(long story), thought that by our age-mid 40's-we would be setting on the deck drinking margaritas. Not happening this decade.

Do you ever feel 'old'?
My body and my mind are at odds, I am 46, but my mind set is in the twenties,I am proud to say I have never grown up and I don't want to. In my twenties I thought I would never see thirty, at 26 I went thru cancer treatment, chemo and radiation, thought I would never see thirty, here I am. Do I ever feel old? I try not to, but some days it just can't be avoided, most days I try not to think about it.
Life is an attituded, don't like your life, change your attituded.
Life is grand, enjoy.

Do I ever feel old?

-- Only when I look in the mirror.

-- Only when I try to go from standing still to a wide open run.

-- Only when I do pushups.

-- Only when I have to write my birth date on a form.

How do I remedy this feeling?

I walk around Wal-Mart for a few minutes looking at the other shoppers. By the time I leave the store, I feel 30 years younger.

A few years ago I was opening a bank account for a girl and when she sat down I said to myself, I can't open this account, she's just a little kid. I asked her for an ID, thinking she couldn't be old enough to have a driver's license, and sure enough, she produced a DL. I looked at the birthday and it read 1985. Again, my brain said, "She's only 14 or so", then I did the math, 2003-1985=18. Realising that someone I thought of as a "kid" was an "adult" made me realise that I was "old".

Now, I think I'm aging in reverse. My son is 1 1/2 and when I play with him, I feel like I'm just a large child. It's the best anti-aging medicine I can find. Take a kid to the park, and you don't look silly going on the slide yourself. It's awesome!

econ guy
You are right about playing with your child it makes you feel young. I play with my great granddaughter and feel the same way. However when I ask my grandchildren questions about my mobile phone it reminds me when my parents asked me about the remote on the tv and vcr and I thought my mom and dad are getting old.

Dave,

I'll be 46 this year, but have daughters who are 5 and 2. I think that must make me older than you?

Dave,

Felt bad not being able to meet and shoot with you on Saturday. I had forgotten about this thread, and now I really feel bad about missing you.

We have a very serious health issue going on in the family that is going to be an on going interuption for hopefully a long time. It is really not as much a problem as it is an inconvienence to be one of those called on to help others.

Enough ... That is just another issue that makes me feel old.