The Empty Nest: Making Space for What's Next

Finding Yourself After the Kids Move Out

In just over two weeks, my husband and I will be staring at 3 empty bedrooms. The "baby" of the clan is heading off to college in September. Is he ready? Absolutely! Are we ready? Absolutely not!

I don't recall the doctors/nurses telling us how we would feel when our babies grow up and head out into the world. That while we are proud, happy and excited for them, our hearts are crumbling and we're crying over the littlest things. 

My husband came home from getting groceries the other day and he was having a hard time. He said that every aisle was a reminder of all the snacks we used to buy for them but now we don't need. This is the time of year where we are usually getting backpacks and shoes ready for a new school year and now we're buying furniture and making homemade cookies for moving day.

For years, there was always somewhere to be. Hockey practices, school events, appointments, grocery runs, lunches to pack, forms to sign and somebody who needed something. Then, almost without realizing it, you reach the other side of all of that and think "Okay. What do I do now?"

Maybe the answer is that we don't have to know yet.

Maybe you settle in with a good book over your morning coffee because there isn't an early hockey practice to get to. Maybe you spend an entire Saturday in the kitchen making jam or trying a recipe you've had saved forever. Maybe you go for a hike, take a class, finally tackle the garden, or decide that this is your crochet era and you're going to pick up that darn hook and make something.

Not because you need to fill every minute but because after years of pouring so much of yourself into raising a family, you finally have a little more time to pour back into yourself.

Crafting and reading and hobbies aren't going to make that dull ache disappear. I don't think they're supposed to. But they can give us something that's ours. Something to look forward to, something to learn and somewhere to put our hands and our minds while our hearts adjust to this new version of life.

And maybe that's what this next chapter is really about.

(Psst: if you're finally ready to pick up that darn crochet hook, you can find my crochet kits here: Crochet Kit Collection)