Thank you for taking the time to post your story.

My kids are 25 and 23 and their wooden swing set brought us many great memories including a concussion and broken elbow.

When it was time to get rid of it, I found a friend from church who wanted to keep it going, so we painstakingly disassembled and labeled everything so he could rebuild it in his back yard.

May God grant you and your family peace!

MasonB said:

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Your kind words and feedback mean a lot to me.

I began writing these essays as a way to preserve some memories. Then it become therapeutic. Friends and family said I should try and turn them into a book, but I always dismissed that thinking my stories wouldn't resonate with people outside the circle of people who know us well.

I think the odds of getting published are extremely long, but you have inspired me to try. Worst case is my kids have a collection of stories to reflect on long after I'm gone.

If by some chance it does get published, the Texags Outdoors Board will definitely get honored in the dedication.

Thanks for the appreciation and the encouragement.

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I'm confident you would enjoy an app called storyworth (storyworth.com).

It asks you a question a week about your life for 52 weeks. At the end, they produce a book of your stories. You can add pictures as well. My kids gave me this for my 70th birthday but no need to wait that long. Has been an incredible experience as past memories reemerge with the answering of each question.

Great story Op! Becoming empty nesters ain't for sissies….after having kids in the house for all these years and in what seems like a blink of the eye they're gone..tough to adjust…at least it was for me…

Another great story, Mason. Thank you for sharing and bringing back some memories of my own with my kids and a similar swing set.

I put one up in our yard when my girls were still little. Lots of great memories, some because it was one of the last projects my dad and I worked on together before he passed away, some because the girls loved it and played on it - at least for a few years anyway.

I think they may have enjoyed playing in the sand I built it on more than anythinga t the time, they weren't all that thrilled when I put a layer of mulch down over that sand. First thing they did after it was done was have a picnic lunch on the little table under the rock climbing wall.

But like most things, over the years they lost interest and less and less memories were made. The wood faded, the swingsets no longer got used, it became just something in the yard that was just there. I got tired of dealing with weeds inside the raised bed section I built it on and eventually gave it away to a guy that had a couple of young daughters himself and was lookng for one like mine or similar to put up in his yard. I hope his girls had good memories like mine did.

When my twins were born, they were the first in the entire family on both sides. I used to send out emails "twin's update" the first year they were born because we got some many questions so I just mass emails the entire family.

I wish I could find those emails.

My wife kept a journal for all the kids for their first few years and we've stumbled across it every now and then and we love every second.

I'd be lying if I said your post did not make me tear up. As the father of three wonderful girls, I cannot imagine the trials you and your wife had to endure, but I hope your family is at peace now. God bless and thank you for the post.