Interesting Thought About Growing Up

I was having a conversation on instant messenger with Casey yesterday at work, because what else would I be doing while I'm at work. Besides Casey handicapping his upcoming cornhole match and sending me scandalous pictures of Big Ben, we got to talking about his vacation. Casey is driving down to Florida next week with his parents to visit his grandparents. He also told me this will probably his final trip to Florida, after he's made so many over the past 23 years. With that I got to thinking how the definition of "family" is changing drastically before my eyes. In a time not that long ago, "family" vacations meant hopping on a plane with my parents to Florida, going on week-long trips to North Carolina, or spending a long weekend at Hershey Park. At some point, rather quietly, those trips started falling off one-by-one until without even realizing it, none of those trips are left.

As I thought more about it, the cancellation of the family vacations seemed more of a microcosm of the changing definition of family. When I was growing up, I always kind of assumed that I would be a part of my parents' family one day and have my own the next. What I didn't realize, and what no one failed to mention to me is that there is a gap between leaving your childhood family and starting your own. For some people, this transition is rather quick, as they leave college with a significant other, spend lots of time with that person, and then get engaged. Even though there are a few years without a specific family, when you're close to engagement with a significant other, and you will go to family functions with them and vacation with them, you're basically family. For others, myself included, the transition from family to family takes a little bit longer, and is somewhat painful along the way.

Right now of course, I'm still basically a part of my childhood family. I live at home with my parents, and not much has changed since I was a kid except for the fact that I'm working 60 hours a week. But in the very near future, I'm going to move out on my own, and at that point, I won't really have a family. Sure, my parents will always be there for me; they're amazing people. But soon, I'm going to start the interesting process of finding my way without a family to come home to every night, Shortly after that, I'll be seeking to find/start my own.

Just another challenge that you never realize is coming until it's right in front of your face. Is there even a way to prepare for these things or to see them coming? Life man, life.

- Kaps

Song of the Day: Jay-Z feat. Alicia Keys - Empire State of Mind