Empty nest

You don't realize how important something is until its not around anymore and not having my wife and kids around makes the realization that they are so much a part of what I am now all the more acute. And its only 3 weeks!!! Man empty nest syndrome sucks. N and I were having a conversation last weekend about independence in relationships. Both my wife and I can function quite well alone and if something ever happens to the other, we can both take care of ourselves and the kids if we had to. But that's not the point. We both chose to be dependent on each other despite everything and in the 9 years that we've been together and the 5 years (almost 6) that we've been married we have become so much a part of each other that we both notice when the other is gone. It's all the more acute when you have kids who rely on you more than anyone else. They have to. There is no one else. They are completely helpless without you. Evolution has made us need our kids as much as they need us (that is until they become teenagers - those bastards) and when they aren't around its like a part of my life force has been sucked out of me.