It was a time of seemingly endless celebration.

But by the late-thirties, the “fun” of celebrating adulthood slowly wore off.

Our financial world crashed around us, forcing many out of jobs with little opportunity to find new employment in short order. Those of us who still had jobs, feared that our source of income may also come to an end. We got it, because we knew that the shoe may be on the other foot any given day.

A wave of divorces began. One turned to two, turned to five — some amicably, others hardly so. We struggled to come to grips with our new reality and found the power within ourselves to push through even when we wanted to quit. We may not have shared the details with many, but we were certainly there for one another. We got it, because we had been through it too.

The pets we brought into our lives when we first started out as adults passed on. We empathized any time someone posted on Facebook that their pet – their furry family member – had passed away. We got it, because we had been through it too.

Children and tweens have now entered their teens. They present us with the same attitude, drama and trials that we tested our own parents with – but that doesn’t mean we know how to deal it. As parents, we listen to one another through the frustration and tears and see one another through. We get it, because we’re going through it too. Or will be any day.

Some have started to lose their own parents. We console our friends and loved ones, attending funerals and offering tears and support. We get it because even if we haven’t been there, we know we’re going to be at some point.

We are parents of a certain age. We get it.

And we’ll get through it together.