We’ve been busy with high school graduations lately. It’s hard to believe that my youngest graduated ten years ago!
My parents have 13 grandchildren. Numbers 11 and 12 graduated from high school last week.
Gable is the last child of my brother and sister-in-law, so it’s been fun to welcome them to the empty nest years, although I did warn them that the fun of those years don’t really start until you get to quit paying for college!
Andrew is the middle child of my youngest sister. Her last one will graduate in 2024, so she and my brother-in-law are on the cusp of empty nesting, too!
In all the years of growing up and getting older, I somehow never realized that my siblings and I would all eventually end up in the same stage of life—empty nesting. I have one sister and brother-in-law with whom we are already enjoying a new relationship in this stage. In fact, they just entered the grandparents club yesterday! It makes me happy to continue adding our siblings to these new stages of life.
Our family also experienced a graduation of another kind a couple of weeks ago. My aunt—my dad’s brother’s wife—graduated from earth to heaven. Now all my parents’ siblings and spouses are gone, leaving only my parents of their generation in both families. It was a sweet time of remembrance as well as a gentle reminder than time continues to march forward for us all.
On top of all this, our house issues remain. Bad news piled on bad news. And now we’re waiting to see what insurance will cover and when the repairs can begin. Sigh.
So our May—which I’ve often contended is busier than December—has been as busy as ever, even with our own kids long past the graduations stage.
What has kept you busy in May?
Hello D’Ann, we had a blessed graduation for Ryan last Mon., May 15th. He graduated from law school at Washington Univ School of Law. He’s hired at a Dallas Law Firm for IP law. His interest is patent law. God is so good!!
Remember praying for him years ago? Well, God answered us & we give Him all the praise & glory!! Just wanted you to know!
Hallelujah! What an amazing answer to prayer! What a wonderful weekend you had. Thanks for letting us know!
I can relate on several counts. My middle son graduated early, in December, but walked with his class to receive his diploma yesterday. He is the prodigal child who prompted my book of prayer poems for parents of prodigals, Watching the Wayward. Thus, we were never absolutely sure this day would come. He is in a much better place these days. In two years, we will enter that empty nest stage. And, as for the housing issues… oh, how I can relate. Our a/c went out in April. I guess one compressor of the dual-compressor system failed. The repair company we normally use ordered the parts, but one part was no longer made and it began to look like we could be facing a summer without a/c. Thankfully, our second opinion identified that the second compressor wasn’t long in life either (would have hated to replace the one only to have the second then fail, too). Friday we had the whole system replaced to the tune of $14K – certainly not chump change. Now, waiting to see if we get the $2500 deposit back from the initial company. But, we’re grateful to God that we will not have to endure the heat of summer without a/c!
What a beautiful story of redemption, Wendy! That’s awesome! So sorry for your AC woes. And yes, it would have been awful to pay to repair one thing and have the other go out! Never fun to spend money on the “unseen” parts of your house, even if it is necessary! Hugs!