Six Week Empty Nest Checkup

Whelp…six weeks ago today, I woke up for the first time in an Empty Nest. In August, I took my youngest son to college 3 hours away for his freshman year at a state university. Then over Labor Day weekend, I moved my youngest daughter into a house on Mission Beach, CA for her junior year in college. Yep, she’s living her best life! From San Diego, I flew to Salt Lake City to spend a week with my oldest daughter and her husband to explore their new home town. I was hoping to delay the inevitable for as long as I could. The Empty Nest.

And, six weeks later, here I am sitting in my empty nest.  I don’t like it.  But, actually, I don’t hate it either!  It’s just different.  And, I’ve learned a few things in these 6 weeks:

1. I still cook dinner.  I was so over answering the annoying daily question of “what’s for dinner”. After 28 years of being in charge of dinner, I was determined to make every night “Fend for Yourself Night”.  The rebel in me wanted to give up this task, but the nurturer in me still wants to feed my people, even if my people has been reduced to my person. You are welcome, Mark.
2. Emotional Time – It’s a thing.  Who knew kids could take up so much less of your emotional time when they moved out?  Of course I still worry and think about my kids, but wow, has that emotional headspace cleaned up!  I have been filling that space with reading and podcasts.  I’ve been diving into the Enneagram and knowing my kids’ numbers, I’m also realizing I wish I had known about the Enneagram 10 years ago!  Oh the things I would have done differently!
3. I can crochet a decent pumpkin.  In anticipation of all this empty nesting free time, I have (re)learned to crochet. (I am a grandma after all, aren’t we supposed to crochet?)  I have filled my time with crocheting these cute pumpkins and it’s out of control actually.  Crocheted pumpkins are cute, but come on…I’m borderline manic about filling my time with this hobby.  At last count, I’ve made 34 of them.  Who wants a pumpkin?
4. Twenty four hours is SO MUCH TIME!  Remember when 24 hours was not enough time to get everything done you wanted to get done.  Just wait. If you have littles, it may be 18 years, but it is coming! I have a full time job and a side hustle, and 24 hours is still SO MUCH TIME!
5. Two people only create three loads of laundry a week.  And one of those is towels.  WHAT?? It’s true.  And it is a magnificent thing.
6. Zoom is the best free app I have.  I have a standing video call every Sunday with my kids.  It’s tricky, spanning 3 time zones, but whoever is available jumps on.  We only chat for about 30 minutes to catch up and share the highlights of our week, but I get to see their faces and it makes this mama’s heart happy. 

Six weeks in…I’m going to be just fine!  I’m a middle aged work in progress, and looking forward to this re-invented me.

Oh..and stay tuned…been working on my ukulele skills.