Totally see how that can happen, svelte. It must have been strange to be alone after so many years with kids in the house. Mr. CAR and I often wonder what it will be like if/when the kids move out. I will be devastated. 🙁

I think a lot of wives put their kids before their husbands in a really unhealthy way. IMO, it shouldn’t be like that because the kids are supposed to grow away from you while your husband is, ideally, supposed to be there until your final days. It’s just difficult for many women to put their husbands before their kids, or even equal to them, because the kids demand so much more of them. This probably makes the “empty nest” situation worse than if the husband and wife had made their relationship a priority.

Like you and your wife, I’ve also seen many couples who come out on the other end and really enjoy a golden era in their relationship. If you can make it through kids and the transition to empty nesters, I think the joint history and accomplishments can make the relationship so much stronger.