My oldest is only 12 now but I can’t imagine life with him not here, thankfully my youngest is only 6 so she’ll be here for a bit
My wife and I also look at it as raising future adults and do our best to prepare them for their futures, not ours.
It’ll be enjoyable to watch them leave the nest and begin the lives that they choose, but, it won’t be any less painful when they leave.
The idea of doing whatever we want and finally getting the house set up the way that we want sounds great, so does more hunting and traveling with my wife. I just can’t help but feel that if someone puts in the actual effort, care, and love into raising decent human beings that no part of you will ever truly enjoy them leaving and that the things that you do when they’re gone are to fill a void, not satisfy a curiosity.
Such is the way of things. We all survive heartbreak, young love, hardship, hunger, pain, loss of loved ones and friends, etc. We’ll all survive the kids leaving and will find something to fill the time, I’ll just never pretend that I’m looking forward to it because the years I’ve had with my kids growing up in this house have been the best of my life.
I don’t think I’ll miss the noise, but, maybe I will.