I Thought About Life After Kids and Didn’t Recognize My Marriage

The realization that my son would be heading to college hit me hard one summer afternoon.

As the reality of my son leaving home washed over me, I found myself feeling panicky. Not because I was nervous about the inevitable tearful goodbye in his dorm room. My panic wasn’t because the thought of sending him off on his own made me want to sit on his bed and cry.

No, I was feeling panicky because I didn’t recognize my marriage.

Years of frustrations and stress from child rearing, job strain and...