Oh Good Grief! If who you are is all based on your children and their activities, then you didn't have much of a life to begin with. My wife and I love our children, buut we and they were ready for the next chapter in thier and our lives. We have enjoyed our empty nest and look forward to the short trips home by our children.

Ms Thibodeaux needs to get a grip.

Richard You run your mouth when you don't know antthing about thes ladies. Ms. Thibodeaux is a great teacher at Austin High. She has great boys becaues her and Billy love them and are involved in their lives. You sound like you were glad to get rid of your kids.

I agree with James, I teach with Mrs. Thibodeaux, and she has 3 wonderful boys. Richard, you don't know Mrs. Thibodeaux, so maybe you should just keep your comments to yourself.

Nothing wrong with loving your kids Richard,lets not rush to judge others.Different strokes for different folks.Mrs Thibodeaux is a fantastic lady.

Some parents are happy that their kids are out of the house,but that doesn't mean they don't love them less. Everyone handles the situation different. We as parents are all different. I miss my son terribly but I am so happy for him that he has moved on with his life away from his parents.

I currently live near Dallas, Texas. The last of my children moved out a little over a year ago to go "home" to Alabama where they were raised. I do miss them every day but also enjoy the quiet time I have with my husband. I keep in touch with all of them by phone and video calls,which are the best. We will be retiring to Upstate New York in a couple of years so I will never again be a ble to see my children or grandchildren but 2 to 3 times a year. I cannot even begin to tell you the loss and pain that I feel because I can't just hop in the car and drive a little ways to spend time with and help my children.Sometimes they need me and we have to resolve issues or me just listen and sympathize over the phone or video call. I will always miss them but will also always cherish the time I am able to spend with them. They are my children and I would love to have them nearer but this is just part of life. I can either accept it and move on or grieve myself to death. I choose the former.

Doesn't seem right to me that readers are permitted to make snide remarks about their neighbors under the cover of anonymity. Mrs Thiibodeax has openly expressed her feelings. If Richard (is that really his name?) has a problem with that, he should be man enough to identify himself.

It sounds like Richard either does not have children or has not had the connection with his children that we do. My only child will be moving to Mobile in August. We are very close. After my divorce when she was 3 months old....it was only the two of us for 8 years. We are closer than most 18 year olds and their parents. She has been in sports since she was 5 years old...so we have spent much of our time together that a lot of others do not get the chance. My husband and I are going to miss her dearly!!!! So to tell us to "get a grip"......you need to sit back and realize.....we aren't the parents that let a TV or video games raise our children!!!! We raised them!!! We are both excited on her new life BUT that by no means makes it any easier for any of us!!!

My husband and I may not have always been able to provide our children with everything materially, but we have taken great pride in giving them our love, our attention, and our time. I am not embarrassed to say that they have been a priority in our lives, and if we had to do it all over again, we wouldn't change a thing! They are worth every bit of it and then some! We will miss them when they are gone, but we are so excited for them and wish them the best! Afterall, this is what we have worked so diligently to prepare them for!

Caki Thibodeaux

In Richards defense, I think he may have misunderstood Caki's sentiment. There are allot of parents these days who sacrifice everything for their children, including their own marriage. I do NOT believe Caki and Billy have done so, but it appears Richard gleened this from the article. As Dr. Friedman said, "If people were holding together because of the children, they could be in trouble, but if they have a good marriage, this is a good time to re-establish themselves as a couple."

We have a number of married friends whose entire life is wrapped up in their children and we've often wondered what will happen once they leave home (or if they ever will leave home). Our children are loved, but they also understand that they come after God and our marriage. As our parents did for us, we encourage them to explore the world and make sure that living at home isn't too comfortable. After all, we feel that our greatest responsibility as parents is to raise them to leave home and be viable, contributing members of their communities.

Congratulations to Caki and Billy for raising three fine young men.

If you are fortunate enough to be a parent, then your top priority is God and your family, especially your children. Therefore, yes, your children and their activities are the relevant part of your life. It sounds like the families in this article have their priorities in order. Shame on Richard for his comments. He obviously doesn't value his children. For those of us who are dealing with the last child leaving home, it can be a very stressful time, which shows that we do have "a grip" on our lives and know what is important.