Let’s face it. Anticipating the sea changes that accompany our children launching out into maturity is plain terrifying.

Recently, I met an old friend at a coffee shop. While we waited for the barristo to do his magic, I asked how his family was doing. He hesitated a moment, “Well our daughter got married last weekend. My wife had been fending off a cold, but now she can hardly get out of bed. Our new son-in-law is a wonderful guy, and I think they’ll make a good pair…” His voice trailed off; he shuffled awkwardly.

“How wonderful…and how difficult,” I replied.

He looked up in relief. “Yeah, it’s really hard. This is the first time our daughter has been away for any extended time. Our family was a team. My wife’s best friend…”

“Sometimes these successes are almost enough to kill you off,” I offered. “Life is never the same. We have to help each other to find some new equilibrium. Well, congratulations…and condolences,” I toasted.

“Congratulations and condolences…That’s really it.” He shook his head, chuckling, “Nobody gets that part. Nobody wants to talk about it.”

My friend hit it on the head: Nobody talks about it. But the difficulty of transitioning from a 24/7 family to an extended family involves stretching and extending to a painful degree. Maybe you are ready to look at it.

Prepare your family to weather the transitional phase by creating celebrations today that will call your children home. Try the Magi Treasure Hunt: a Bible Study Game for the 12 days of Christmas.

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Coming Soon! Launch-Proof Legacy workshop and women’s retreat.

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