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As adults the tradition has remained the same...but has not been limited to just friends of our children.  My husband and I have ‘adopted’ many young adults our children’s ages...again, a natural "happening" because of the love that has grown in our hearts as we sincerely pray for them.

 Many people our age lament over ‘empty nest’.  So many have mobile children who live far away...and lament over not being able to see them often.  Many make their children feel guilty...and eventually many of those children never want to go home.  There is no reason to be resigned to a lonely life...there are many young adults who will allow themselves to have one more "mom and dad" in their lives...many who were not raised in a Christian home and still have parents who are not Christians...many who could glean from older Christians who have---with God’s help--- raised Children who love the LORD. We have several, and in particular four others, that we love and share our parents hearts with---two young women and two young men...in addition to our very own and very special son and daughter!

Out of all of the above---some thoughts.

1.)      My children grew up sharing their parents with other children their age.  Because we had other children around so often our children had to learn to share, learn to care, learn to give to others besides our immediate family.  We encouraged their doing so, never feeling slighted by their divided attention, which I have witnessed parents complain to their children about.  Both of my children grew up to be totally unselfish.

(And I want to add here that we don’t know how many of those friends that we shared our home with NEEDED the love, and respite of a home endeavoring to love and to honor the LORD ...as well as needed the correction and teaching that was given when needed.)

2.)      As adults our children know that we are happy---even though we may not live near to them.  Why?  Because they know the "siblings" that their parents have chosen to love as family.  I get lonely for my daughter and the attention of my daughter---However,   I have a ‘daughter’ less than a mile from me -- Denise (our picture on our article page).  I have prayed for her earnestly and love her dearly because of those prayers.  I have also opened the ‘mom’s part of my heart’ to her and have chosen (and that is a key word---chosen as God chose to love me) to love her and treat her like a mother would a daughter. I also threaten her husband with a "mother-in-law" curse if he is ornery to her. )  Likewise Kristina knows that we have other "children" around the country and she freely shares our hearts with them...knowing her parents hearts have love enough to give away. 

Planning for the future:

When my daughter comes home from Michigan I encourage her to go and see her friends.  Oh, I could demand her full attention, and make her feel guilty for loving her friends and wanting to spend time with them (usually to meet a need for them)...but that would be a very selfish thing for me to do...and I am still teaching her.  One day, unless Jesus comes for us all, her parents will be in Heaven and I want her to have close relationships with her friends.  That is something I am planning for and working on leaving for her when I am in Heaven...the love and bond of her friends. 

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