Things are quiet around our home.
One kid has moved out and is a freshman in college. The other is a senior in high school and only spends 2 nights a week at our home.
It finally happened.
We are empty nesters.
After spending the past couple of years trying to help raise my husband’s two teenage girls, there is a sudden sense of relief. Like… we did it. We can rest now.
And rest we have!
For two nights in a row, I have gone to bed at 9 pm. Our basic after work schedule includes me coming home, walking the dog. Feeding the cats. Cooking dinner. Feeding the dog. Tim gets home. We watch tv as we eat. We maybe watch another show. Then Tim goes to our bedroom to start working on a class he is taking and I take a nice long bath. We put the dishes away. We walk the dog. I read for about an hour, then snooze land.
It is so, so, so nice.
There is an aura of calm that has settled on our home. Even with the rambunctious 6-month-old German Shepherd running around.
This is something I have been waiting for. No stress, no angst, no “I need this,” just quiet and calm.
Now what to do with all of this quiet time? Maybe less sleeping, though my body is enjoying catching up on the loss of sleep over the months.
This class has made a world of difference for Tim. He was truly dreading the empty nest. He just loves being a dad. Luckily, he is finding ways to spend his extra time and I couldn’t be happier for him.
Finally… it feels like life is happening, the way we envisioned it.
How do you handle empty nest?
Destination Unknown 