Hello everyone out there. I'm turning a new page in my life, sorta...I just turned 56 years young. I just want to get some ideas from you all out there, younger or older than me, what are some of the things you want to accomplish before you hit 70yrs. old, just a random age there. I'm very fortunate to have a good job, but my husband will be retiring at the end of this year. It's a little scary for me and I don't really know why. He has always worked and brought in the majority of the income...maybe that's why. But, anyway, when he retires I'll still be working, just a little longer anyway. But in the mean time I want to get serious, have fun, and enjoy growing older. What are some things you have done in life that have made you happy, content? Just to add to my bucket list. Thank you all and have a good evening.~mybest

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How do you keep family life and work in balance?

I have 4 children at home, the three older ones are in college and work full time. The youngest one is 16, 17 next month and is still in HS. By the time I get home from an 8 hr. shift, I'm exhausted and want some down time. My bedroom is one of my favorite spots to relax, this takes me away from my family if they're home that is. They are usually in the living room, in their bedrooms or surfing the net or doing home work. Suppertime as a family is a must, but most of the time we aren't all home to sit down and eat together. Communication is also a must, I want to know what everyone's plans are for the week, what chores need to get done, cooking and so forth. With the busy schedules we all have, I'm trying to find balance, so I don't neglect my children, it's not really neglect, but feels like it sometime. My children aren't parents yet so they don't really understand what the big deal is, family time is very important to me. I think by keeping in close contact makes a family bond special. That's my worry here, with our busy lives what small things can we do to keep our family close? I also believe that while our family is strenthening bonds, we should also be engaged in things that make us content or happy outside our homes. That's perfectly ok. I don't want to sound like I'm trying to smother my children where all they have to do is stay home and bond. It's not like that, that would drive us crazy. Let me just say that we are pretty much all together on Sunday, sometime on Monday evenings we have family night and the rest of the time we are scattered, we are where we need to be because of school, work, or church callings. Just want to say, I'm grateful my children are in school and have jobs. My husband and I, we both work and if we're lucky we'll have two days to spend together. How much time do you spend with your children one on one? How often do you tell them you appreciate them? How often do you praise them? How ofter do you tell them you truly love them? And how often do you pray with them, for them? How often do you sit with them and help them with their homework? When was the last time you talked to them about sex? The list goes on and on. Find some balance, stay in touch with your children, what will matter most in the end, is that you had time to hold their hand and touch their faces, and see them smile and look deeply into their eyes. Balance...don't allow anything to throw you off.