Finding Your Fun Factory

Gary and Barb Murphy were all set to spend their days on the front porch of their Ocala, FL, lake house after they sent their 17-year-old daughter to Florida State University. But fate got in the way.

The couple had sold their side business, an indoor playground called Fun Factory, in order to finance their new home. Just as dreams of rocking chairs and lakeside sunsets were beginning to take shape, the couple got a phone call from Fun Factory's new owner. The woman said she was going to have to close the store and offered to sell it back to them.

Barb, who had a true passion for providing a fun place for local kiddies, couldn't bear the idea of losing a daughter and a business in the same year. She and Gary decided to take out a loan on their new house and repurchase Fun Factory. "I won't go through the empty nest syndrome," she told the Ocala Star Banner. "We lost a kid and are getting thousands."

The Murphys are a great example of how keeping up with a routine is not only healthy, but can help the transition to a life without children around. It's also amazing how fate stepped in and pointed the way. We all have those moments where life tells us which way we should be headed. We just need to make sure we listen. [Ocala Star Banner]