My youngest child left to go away to college almost 3 years ago and I officially became an empty nester. At the time I didn’t know how I would feel or even manage my time. I was always the mom that made it to every school recital. Many weeknights and Saturdays I would drive long hours to football or volleyball games. Their schedule kept me busy and I learned to enjoy every moment…and then it stopped! Not suddenly since I knew she was leaving to go away to school, but it felt abrupt enough to leave me unsure of what to do with my time. Letting go was a challenge.
Fast forward to today; I am happy that I have adjusted although the road to get here was bumpy. Today I realize that there are many benefits to being an empty nester, check them out below.
Discover Your Real Self
This time as an empty nester has been filled with many moments of me getting to know myself. I was 24 when my first child was born, barely out of college. I fell in love with being a mom and I quickly added 2 more children for me to adore. Motherhood is a true blessing and I am proud to have been able to nurture, protect and provide for each of them. But as I sat alone for the first time not having to cook, or run to a practice I realized that I didn’t know me. This initial discovery was overwhelming and scary, thinking more about me was a concept that I had to embrace.
Being purposeful in all that I do has become a priority. I have learned to say no and focus on doing what brings me joy. My health and peace are vital and my mindset is “Why Not Me”, I am more than a mom. Why not me as an entrepreneur, motivational speaker or world traveler? Taking the time to understand and embrace my interests has been an exciting venture. The list is endless and I am enjoying this process of discovering me.
Rekindle Your Relationships
The empty nesting period has allowed time for me to reconnect with my husband. I have to admit it wasn’t easy at first. It was a struggle to figure out who we were as a couple and what we still had in common. Taking the time to communicate our individual needs has became a priority. While less demands on me has allowed more time and opportunities for both emotional and physical intimacy. Reigniting our partnership and creating meaningful connections without the children has improved the quality of our relationship.
Appreciate Peace and Quiet
The absence of teenagers arguing over food, tv time, computers and even clothes is a welcome change. There are days when I can hear a pin drop. I never fully understood that this type of quietness existed. On the nights that I am completely alone in the house I look forward to eating in bed and watching Netflix. The serenity is intoxicating, a feeling that creates a sense of peace. I have learned to fully embrace this as self-care. Time to myself that is much needed to center my peace and embrace joy.
No one can truly prepare you for what happens when your children turn 18 and leave the nest. They are not “leaving”, but rather going out into the world to experience a life in which we have prepared them to flourish. I have done my job well and our children are independent, capable and adventurous. They have become everything and more than I could have dreamed of. This is a new chapter in my life and I have to trust the process and embrace the progress.
Until next post,
It’s a fabulous time I find – although a bit of tip toeing through knowledge of who you really are. Particularly when you were known as “……’s mother”… I myself only wanted to be a mother – so I had some back tracking and re-learning about life – more than most.
Thanks for the great post… loved reading and may your future goals turn out to be the best yet to come!
Yes, a wonderful time of discovery along with some trial and error!
I can relate to wanting to be someone’s mother. This was a title I only identified with for quite some time.
Lots of self reflecting has gotten me to where I am today 🙂 Thanks for the kind words, I really appreciate you!
Your welcome Michell! – I guess it’s not looking in the past – that’s not the direction you’re going 🙂
I’ve been an empty nester for quite a few years now and for a long time, work filled that empty space. It wasn’t until I found myself on long term disability that I discovered what it was like to be truly “empty”. It took some time to rediscover myself and what I was capable of doing with my health issues, but I’m able to volunteer now and that helps me a lot.
I’m glad you were able to rediscover yourself and found the things that brought you joy. It doesn’t always have to be elaborate things, does it? Sometimes just Netflix and a favourite snack is enough to make you happy! And it really is a joy when the kids come home – especially when you know they’ll be leaving again! Just kidding! Thanks for a lovely post. It brought back some good memories for me.
Thank you for your kind words. It ‘s amazing what quiet time can do for you. The blessing is that the “empty” feeling will eventually go away. I’m happy to hear that you have found joy in volunteering. It is special to be able give of yourself to someone or something that isn’t directly related to you. I know that your kindness is appreciated by those that you are helping.
Netflix and I are the best of friends, I never took the time to watch TV in the past and I am truly enjoying it now.
Beautiful post! I am 6 months away from being an empty nester after 28 years! I am working on getting myself emotionally ready for this time, kind of like prep work. 🙂 Thank you for mentioning that it’s ok to enjoy the quiet, every moment does not have to be jam packed like it was when I had a house full of kids. Looking forward to additional posts!
Hey there, I am excited that you will soon be an empty nester. Through all of the changes, it is a special time that I hope that you will cherish. Taking the time to get to know yourself is a beautiful thing. And yes, enjoy the quiet time! Thanks for commenting and I hope you’ll enjoy future posts.
My husband and I had our daughter late in life and so at 57 I have a 16 year-old! I wish for her to be able to go away to college so she can have that true college experience. My husband on the other hand keeps pushing community college for a year or two and then she can go away. I don’t know what option she will embrace but I DO know it’s going to be very strange and a real life change for all of us 😳
It is a blessing to watch our children grow up and go out into the world and make their own choices and decisions. We have done our job of teaching and instilling values, we now have to trust the process and believe that they were listening. Enjoy the next few years with her being home, the time will go by quickly:-)
As I read I kept shaking my head going Yep, me too. I’m 48 and not quite an empty nester but O it’s coming. I’ve found myself getting emotionally prepared for this transition. I really appreciate you touching on the topic of struggling with reconnecting with your partner cuz I see how the change will affect relationships. Thank you for sharing and looking forward to the next post.