I totally agree with every single word in your story, Chris. We also used to watch TV/DVD together with the kids when they were younger. Also, we used to go together on ski trips, camping expeditions, week-long vacationing in the cottage country and a couple of times the Caribbean; we would embark on road trips across the country and in Europe, etc. We had a lot of family time together when the kids were younger, and yet that bonding experience of the past seems to have little effect on our ability to stay connected now. Maybe I expect too much from my grownup children but they want to live their lives independently, while I still hope to get some family time together in front of the TV or just around dinner table. We do have these things, from time to time, but not so often as I would prefer... I agree that the pace and other demands of our modern life put enormous stress on our children, no matter young or grownup, and on ourselves too. It becomes a struggle to get some family time, to disconnect from the terribly noisy world, pause our pursuits of everything and just sit quietly with your family and be happy and grateful for our time together...

Awesome read!