Richard Hogan: Rearing children is a consuming activity, but what will be left when they leave?

Richard Hogan: You can have a deeper intimacy with your partner that isnāt primarily based on physical intimacy, but it requires intention. Picture: Moya Nolan
Ah, those early moments of new romance. Living by your vagaries, the excitement to see each other, the utter pain of separation by night or distance. The joy in the shared complicity of dreams about the future, not to mention the excitement of getting to know each other physically. Itās like an undiscovered territory, and youāre an eager tourist. Finding it almost impossible to keep your hands off each other. Remember? Oh God, I think I might sound like Yeats, looking at youth and declaring, āThat is no country for old men, the young in one anotherās armsā. I certainly recite those lines as I walk through St Stephens Green surrounded by kids in the first throws of romantic dalliance. Yes, those early days of a fledging relationship can be remarkable and sustain us long after the initial excitement and physical desire for each other passes.