ozzieeagle

I guess we all go through years where things change a lot....but 2016 is proving to be the greatest year of change I've experienced in my 61 years.

I'm fairly certain this will/should be the year I finish fulltime work forever or at least definitely know when that will happen. My 2nd oldest married.... My 3rd oldest is moving to the UK indefinitely in August (Aus born and bred btw). I lost a parent at the end of 2015....but believe it or now the biggest change is my oldest daughter (33 now) may well be shaking off her demons and becoming part of main stream society and actually moving out of our house in with a very steady and seemingly capable and relatively normal BF, who touch wood is not tainted with the demons all her previous encounters have had. That's akin to having tons of weight lifted of my/our shoulders... cant believe it's actually happening or would have been possible.

Even the youngest (18 at the end of March) is having a massive year and says he will be moving overseas by the end of the year, with his very steady and lovely GF..... I think they actually may get married next !!! Bit young I know, but it does happen with youngsters sometimes.... very unusual in this day and age I will admit.

Some years are like this.... but boy never to this extent.

From full on full time parents with very heavy weighty responsibilities and worries to carefree empty nesters in one go !

Cant believe it. Never thought we'd see it..... fingers crossed. Could be the biggest year since I migrated in 1980. It's almost too much change in one go and I/we may need to tread carefully inasmuch as our relationship will be in a totally different and for us an unknown mode.... well since we became parents in 83...

Anyone else had years of total change ?

Gordon Barlow

What about the beginning, when you first became a full-time parent? That experience was fiercely traumatic for me, and changed my life totally. I don't think I've ever recovered, fully!

ozzieeagle

Yes I can empathise with that..... I think it may have been a bigger change to the way I/we live than Migration.... Especially the way it changes ones partner from a "best friend" to predominantly a mother. I dont mind admitting now I wasn't too happy with that change in relationship. Almost back to the start now in terms of our relationship, so I'm well happy with that.

Best massive life change for me was Co-habitation.

Beoz

Agree and likewise.

Gordon Barlow

Beoz and ozzie - where were you fellows when I needed a shoulder to cry on?! As the Eagle noted, we exchanged a friend and lover for a mother. What a terrible deal that was, at least at the time.

It reminds me of the old saw about a marriage being based on a mutual misunderstanding: the groom thinks his bride won't change, and she does; the bride thinks her groom will change, and he doesn't. Ain't it the truth?

verystormy

We just had a very rapid change. I had been unemployed for a while in Australia and applied for a job in the UK. I got the job on the condition I could start in a week!

So, three weeks ago, we sold everything we had, put the house on the market and jumped on flights. So, we have gone from a decent sized house in a regional area next to the beach to an apartment in the city centre of Windsor and from having the usual plethora of stuff to owning almost nothing - we arrived with enough money to get a place to live and nothing else other than a suit case each.

So, a pretty big change. But, it seems to be working