Its never the same........

Ashley has a countdown clock in her bathroom, counting down the days till her wedding to Jay. Today the clock is showing 158 days. 158 days till her life and ours irrevocably change. Just as each child's birth, the weddings of your children, the birth of a grandchild or the death of a loved one change your life forever, your "baby" getting married and moving out REALLY changes your life forever. Never again to have a one of our children living at home with us. No more wondering when they will be home, where they are at, who they are with. No more sharing their whole life; only glimpses into, and shared bits and pieces of their new lives.

To Ashley: No more Monday nights watching Heroes and CSI Miami together. No more laughing at Horatio and the stupidity of that show. No more sharing our favorite shows together; "How I Met Your Mother," "CSI Las Vegas," "Criminal Minds," "The Biggest Loser," "24" and all the others. No more sharing a DiGiorno Pizza after moving the green pepper, sausage and the olives off the person's side who hates those things. Chicken salad lunches on Sunday. Week night dinners. Teasing each other. Hopping in the car on a moments notice to run to Target, or where ever. No more just sitting on the couch and being together.

"You're gonna miss this.............."

Jay gave me a book for Christmas called, "Bad Dogs Have More Fun" by John Grogan. {John Grogan is the author of "Marly and Me" and if you haven't read that book, you should.} The title of this new book is a little misleading as it doesn't just deal with dogs. Its a compilation of some of Grogan's writings from his job as a columnist with the Philadelphia Inquirer. One of his writings is titled, "Its Never the Same." It comes from a visit he makes to his mother in a nursing home. The following is an excerpt from "Its Never the Same."

"Once they leave home, that's it," she volunteered as if she were telling it to someone other than one of those who had left. "They come back to visit, but it is never the same."

"I wanted to insist otherwise, but she was right. It never is."

When Jennifer moved out things were never the same. When Joanna got married and moved out, things were never the same. When Jayme moved out to go to college, things were never the same. Jennifer got married and Talan was born. Things will never be the same for her. Aaron is married and is expecting a baby. Things will never be the same for him. Jayme will soon be married and things will never be the same for her.

So, before things are never the same, Ashley........here's to enjoying and reveling in every moment, of every shared minute of the next 158 days. To making lots of memories of our own before you begin making new memories with your new husband.