Kids Gone?

There was a time when this barn was filled with the sound of animals snorting, mooing, snoring, munching and having boisterous fun. Then the kids grew up and left home, leaving . . . nothing, just a gap in the lonely farmer's life.

So what did he do? Simple. He nailed the top of the barn door shut and added a few cheerful wooden cows to remind him of the good old days. And, if you drive by quickly, it all seems real - a happy rural family.

We should do the same when our kids leave home - smiling pictures in the windows and, to enhance the feeling of loss, all the lights on with rap music blasting off the roof.

Er, perhaps not. Best leave the nostalgia to the farmers . . .