I knew my children were growing up. I knew they would eventually move out of the house and start their own lives with their own little families. But honestly, I didn't know eventually would happen so quickly in my life! I've been a homeschooling mother since 1994! My children have all graduated, drive their own cars, have their own jobs, and have their own homes. My husband and I have successfully raised our chicks, and they have flown from the nest. So what happens now? And what am I supposed to do with myself now that I'm not raising and educating my kids?
I wish there had been a manual or a preparedness book to prepare me for the massive amounts of emotions that seemed to overwhelm me in those days after we left Colorado and began a new season (and a wonderfully warm one at that!) in Florida. But there wasn't, at least not that I had found. And so, I am hoping to prepare you mamas who still have little ones, and maybe not so little ones, for what to expect. Kind of a "What to Expect When You're Expecting An Empty Nest"!
I want to assure you that your children will still need you! You haven't stopped being their mother, you haven't ceased being a mother at all. You're role will likely become more that of a friend and a counselor. Being a mother isn't just who you are and what you do. It was a role you had for a season. I want you to consider some things that may help prepare you as your children begin moving out of the house. What did you do in life before you had children? What were some activities you enjoyed, places you visited, and events that you looked forward to? Are those things that you still enjoy and have interest in?
If I can help another mama transitioning from actively parenting to empty nest, then I'll gladly share all I've learned. The truth is, though, none of us will transition in the same way. Some of us watch as our children leave for the military or get married or go off to college far from home. Some of us will move away from our grown children and perhaps our grandchildren. Some of us will mourn the loss of our "babies" as they move on with their own young lives. Some of us will rejoice that we finally can enjoy time with our husbands in more spontaneous ways! Some of us will have happy days while others seem to be sad all the time when we think about our children not being in the home anymore. Some of us will talk to our children daily and others may talk to our children once every few weeks.
I searched for ways to ease what I was feeling, but none of them fit me just right. So, here I am sharing with you what I'm going through in hopes that it will prepare you for your own journey into this new season of having an "empty nest."
If you're already an empty nester, what tips would you pass on to women who are approaching this season?
Lyn~
Come for the journey, stay for the friendship!
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