By Evgeny Atamanenko @ Shutterstock.com

You can feel the tension building up in my house as we head into Labor Day Weekend. Because for us, school hasnโ€™t started, so the harsh, cold reality of the end of summer hasnโ€™t hit us yet.

But it will.

Like a ton of bricks.

At 6:00 am Thursday.

Thatโ€™s when my daughter begins her senior year of high school, and my son will be a sophomore. Iโ€™ve been singing โ€œItโ€™s the Most Wonderful Time of the Yearโ€ like the guy happily shopping for school supplies in the Staples commercial.

They tell me to โ€œjust stop.โ€

Itโ€™s hard knowing that at this time next year, my daughter will be off to college.

The anxious feelings in my gut from knowing that her leaving is right around the corner are like those people feel when facing any new chapter in life.

I donโ€™t think Iโ€™m going to love this feeling. But somehow, weโ€™ll get through it.

And yes, there are times when Iโ€™m ready to see her off on a new adventure, like, โ€œright now!โ€ for her sake, and I guess mine too.

We all must venture out into the world someday.

There isnโ€™t an ownerโ€™s manual for many of the important stages in life. For example, retirement is tougher than it sounds.

The best strategy for getting through all of it is to surround yourself, your LIFE, with those you love.

And even if theyโ€™re not there all the time, theyโ€™ll always be with you.

Are you in pain? Does your body ache?

Well, itโ€™s called life. But thereโ€™s something you can do about it.ย If you are in pain, this may help. It helped me.

Originally posted on Your Survival Guy.ย