mazske, I can totally relate. My oldest is a junior at UF, and my youngest is a freshman at UCF. I am thankful they came home, even for these few days over TG weekend.
I’m glad you were able to see your two. All parents have to go through this.
In my case, I left my parents house at age 19 when I enlisted in the Navy. I’ve never lived in the state I grew up since then.
My wife is from a foreign country, so she’s even further from her family.
I think my oldest son is in port in Hawaii now. I hope he can call sometime soon. He has quite an adventure over these next few months. In the spring, they are supposed to have a portcall in my wife’s home country.
We hope to fly there to see him. We haven’t seen him since June. My youngest will have spring break during that same time period, so hopefully all of us can go.
I miss them, but I am glad to see them develop and pursue their own interests in life. It’s amazing how things change from their needy days as dependents, to their adulthood when they can think and make decisions on their own. As all parents do, we must all gradually let them get on their way and choose their their own path.
Yes sir. My oldest is now 22 and he is supervising his enlisted department. He is working on his qualifications and once qualified, he will be able to drive this near 400’ boat!
From the time an 18 year old, or 17 in my youngest sons case, enters college, to the time they graduate at 22, or 21, they should mature and change.
In my kids case, with going to a military service Academy, they have summer assignments so they get out into the real Coast Guard for that.
Next summer, my still 18 yr old son will either sail to Europe or fly over and sail back. Wow, that still amazes me he will get to do this.
When we see him after it, he will still be the same boy we raised, but there will be differences about him. We saw those changes occur in our oldest son as well during his 4 years at the Academy.
Since graduation in May, my oldest was at Bonaroo music festival in TN, he went to Iceland and hiked for 10 days or so, he drove across the country from TN to Washington state, flew to Vallejo, CA when his boat was in drydock, sailed back to Seattle after 2 months, then to a school in San Diego, then back to Seattle, and now on a 4 month deployment to Antarctica where they will break ice.
We haven’t seen that son since early June. If we do see him in the spring in Panama, he will still be our first born that we raised, but he will be different in some ways.
I’m adapting to being an empty nester. I’ve been texting my oldest sons girlfriend tonight. She’s also an Ensign in the Coast Guard. She saw her family over Thanksgiving and told me she is missing them now. She’s in a school on the east coast at the moment, but will return to her duty station in Washington state in a few weeks.
I think I mentioned in another post I’ve helped my two boys to start investing. I’m helping my sons GF as well to invest.
I apologize for going off on tangents. I’m proud of my kids. I’m sure you are proud of yours at UF and UCF!
Fool on,
mazske
