Barb & I have been married sixteen years. Both of us have children from a previous marriage - I have two daughters, Nicole and Kara; she has a son, Dana; all three are in their twenties, and long since out on their own and working. Christy is thirteen, and reaching that touchy age when parents gradually become less of a help and a teacher and more of a pain and an embarrassment! Regardless, she is growing wonderfully, and developing into a lovely young woman.
It has become clear, in the dozen or so years since Christy was born, that Barb, at least, is not done with mothering. Our "baby" may be standing largely on her own two feet; but there's a real need in this house to nurture, and guide, and care for - in short, a need to mother. Four cats and a dog haven't satisfied this need. Nor have Robin & Ryan, two little darlings who call us "Grampa Jeem" and just "Ba-a-a-rb!" They're two little kids whose parents we have been helping out for four years, with some cash, a lot of babysitting, counsel and just plain listening. They've been a handful of care, and a handful of love as well. But it's not been enough; because when push comes to shove, they're not OUR grandchildren, and they never will be.
Like most young people these days, our older children are more concerned about establishing their place in the highly competitive workplace this world has become, than about establishing families of their own and giving us grandchildren.In short, if we were to extend our family - and both of us in our forties - we would have to do it ourselves.
