Home and Family

The brutal economy has crushed families all over America. From sea to shining sea there are waves of anguish washing over our families. When the financial tides recede there is something new left behind and worth noticing.

Many of our friends have their children moving back to live in their homes. We found are proof that it is not just twenty-somethings moving home. My wife and I went to live with her parents along with two of our kids. We put our home with a vacation rental company when we realized we not be able to sell it or make the mortgage payments much longer.

My father-in-law thought my fitness equipment was a waste of money but found some room for it in the basement. However he surprised us when he asked if he could hold my daughter’s dreadnought acoustic guitar. Then he proceeded to play and actually sing. My mother-in-law is an avid reader and has fallen in love with my wife’s kindle reader.

Our financial difficulties led us home. Not our home but our family’s home. I was not prepared for the surprises. I came home from work and Pop was playing a popular guitar video game with the kids. He was totally jamming and the kids were grinning. Was it possible that we were all changing or just revealing what was already inside us?

My Mom has a page on a social site and now has over 100 friends. My daughter is helping my Mom’s social group with a quilt to raise money to fulfill critically ill children wishes. I actually caught my son playing cribbage with my Dad. I can still see the sheepish look on my Dad’s face when I caught him reading and e-book.

There is an interesting dynamic taking place. Relatives and family members becoming friends? We are sharing experiences and finding common ground that goes beyond our DNA. We are uncovering connections we never realized existed. It’s happening between parents and children and grandparents and grandchildren. It’s wonderful too.

He talked to me about the war, about coming home to Mom and starting a family. He told me about his parents passing away when I was very young. He told me that people, especially men always argue about when we become grownups. He told me that he thinks it is when your parents die because until then you are always somebody’s little boy.

It was in those moments that I knew a cold hard fact. As destructive as our economy had become it was also the reason our home and our family had benefited. I also knew I was going to have a terrific trophy fish hanging on the wall before next winter.

This land is your land, this land is my land… Until your lender forecloses. Vacant homes, playmates going to other schools, and empty seats at church are signs that lives are being changed by a wicked economy. Yet there is proof that diamonds are created under tremendous pressure.

Older children are moving back in with their parents. Young couples and older couples are sharing a home with Mom and Dad. They are renting their home because they cannot sell it in this market. They do not want to lose it entirely. So the extended family is under one roof for a time.

We moved in to my parents retirement home with two children of our own. Although much of our belongings went into storage we still had some of our important items. There was no way I was leaving my dreadnought acoustic guitar in storage. My wife had me put her fitness equipment in the unused room above the garage. She carried her kindle reader all by herself.

Our financial difficulties led us home. Not our home but our family’s home. I was not prepared for the surprises. I came home from work and Pop was playing a popular guitar video game with the kids. He was totally jamming and the kids were grinning. Was it possible that we were all changing or just revealing what was already inside us?

My Mom has a page on a social site and now has over 100 friends. My daughter is helping my Mom’s social group with a quilt to raise money to fulfill critically ill children wishes. I actually caught my son playing cribbage with my Dad. I can still see the sheepish look on my Dad’s face when I caught him reading and e-book.

My father-in-law and I have become friends. That is different from being related by marriage. It’s much better. We share a passion for old airplanes and have traveled as far as 300 miles to attend an airshow with the tribe. We spend time together fishing and he finally asked me to show him how some of my exercise gear works.

Wrapping up a day of chasing fish my Pop asked me if I thought the kids might like spending some weekends at their house after we move back to our home next year. He said he was also wondering if we might be able to get together for a couple out of state fishing trips next summer.

That’s when I realized two things were true. I am actually glad that our house is rented for awhile and I wanted to be ’somebody’s little boy’ for a many years to come.

The brutal economy has crushed families all over America. From sea to shining sea there are waves of anguish washing over our families. When the financial tides recede there is something new left behind and worth noticing.

One of the interesting trends in response to financial difficulties is not the college age crowd taking cover at their childhood homes. There is a remarkable strategy to avoid foreclosure happening in all fifty states. Instead of your elderly parents moving in with their kids the opposite is happening. We took the plunge when the economy took my job.

My Dad never thought he would share his recreation room with his grandson’s dreadnought acoustic guitar. He thought my fitness equipment needed a cup holder but he was intrigued with my daughter’s kindle reader. My wife is actually baking for the holidays with my Mother. Dad and I are staying up late in his workshop.

The economy accomplished what our hectic schedules had never allowed. Honest quality time with each other. We are playing board games now that used to take up closet space. The kids have learned card games that I thought died out in the era of black and white television. There is bonding that crosses generations.

My Mom has a page on a social site and now has over 100 friends. My daughter is helping my Mom’s social group with a quilt to raise money to fulfill critically ill children wishes. I actually caught my son playing cribbage with my Dad. I can still see the sheepish look on my Dad’s face when I caught him reading and e-book.

Old relationships are being renewed. My wife and I have been visiting with my parents friends and making new connections. It was through one of my Mom’s friends that my wife found out about a better job opportunity. My Dad and I had lots of talks in the workshop that I was not much interested in as a kid.

We were up late the other day trimming the tree for Christmas. We had combined some of our ornaments with my parents. Memories of years gone by were shared. My Mom brought out a box and had us gather around the kitchen table. She drew out my childhood Christmas stocking and a picture of me in my pajamas adorned with jets.

That’s when I realized two things were true. I am actually glad that our house is rented for awhile and I wanted to be ’somebody’s little boy’ for a many years to come.