When your children are younger life revolves around their daily schedules, going from place-to-place at a frantic pace you long for the days when things will slow down. You look at that calendar on the refrigerator along with school and sports schedules and wonder if you’re a parent or just a taxi driver. You never think long-range but rather just try and get through the challenges each day will bring as you try and juggle schedules to make sure at least one of you will be at each of your children’s must-attend events. Then it all ends and you wonder where did the time go?

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If you’re lucky as your children get older your relationship with them remains strong if different. No they don’t need you quite as much on a regular basis and clearly they have their own lives to live. This becomes apparent when they move out of the house usually after graduating high school or college although more than ever having children at home in their late 20’s is not unusual.

Our son Brandon has been out on his own for three years and at age 26 he lives in Hoboken with two of his fraternity brothers from Penn State. We talk on pretty much a daily basis…his mother engages in conversation about the serious stuff while he and I concentrate on things like Fantasy Football, the Giants and Penn State.

Another of our joint passions is the New York Rangers and last night the two of us attended their game with Ottawa at Madison Square Garden with tickets courtesy of Rumson girls basketball coach George Sourlis. Unfortunately the Rangers not only loss for just the second time in12 games but were shut out so there was not a whole lot to cheer for.

However in truth the game was almost meaningless to me….it was all about having the kind of relationship in which spending an evening with your grown-up son is something to not only look forward to but cherish. Not only that but before the game while having a drink at a nearby bar Brandon told me he had received very good news that day…a well-deserved promotion at the public relations firm he works for in the city.

He was excited and we toasted his good news which came just a few days after he learned he’ll be heading to Indianapolis for the Super Bowl to work on behalf of one of their corporate clients. I mean it was just “yesterday” that we would celebrate a good report card or goal scored in a soccer game….now the stakes are a lot bigger. But the best part is we can still share in his success and that of our daughter as well and after all…that’s what it’s all about.

Today is their mother and my wife’s birthday and she’ll agree…it’s the best present you could receive. Happy Birthday Jane!

 

 

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