HOW DO YOU COPE WITH HAVING YOUR KIDS SO FAR AWAY?

When our older son and his family first moved to Isreal, my husband and I used to visit them three times a year.  We stayed with them for the full two weeks of each visit.  Over the years our trips have become more frequent but shorter in duration.  We're now in the habit of visiting them at least four times a year, with each visit lasting less than one week.   It's not that we don't enjoy being with them.  We do!  But now that our grandkids are getting older, they know how to speak on the phone.  We hear from them at least once a week.  We love hearing about the fun they had at a friend's birthday party or the new Shabbos shoes they bought.  They can't wait to share their news and we love to hear it.  Of course this isn't the same as being there with them, but it's almost as good.  They call even when they don't have anything to say.  We love knowing that we're part of their lives even though they live so far away.