I knew of “Empty Nest Syndrome” and how women have a really hard time when their children are getting ready to move out on their own.  I believe God gives us children to love and care for and teach them to be responsible adults.  I have never taken this responsibility lightly.

My Aunt Jan told me to prepare for them leaving because even though this is part of life, it is a hard part.  She told me to find something for me that had nothing to do with my children.  It would help me during those really rough days.

But, how do you really prepare for this?  I trusted my Aunt Jan, as she had already gone through this, but what was I going to do for me?  I hadn’t worked outside the home for over 17 years!  I didn’t have a hobby and I knew that I didn’t want to get a job and leave the house for 40 hours a week when there was so little time left to spend with my children.  I was told, this was my time!  Time to do something new!

I thought if I talked about my children moving, helped my oldest son find the perfect apartment, talked about how things would change, really embraced this next season of my life it would be easier and I was accepting this change — or so I thought.

Nothing, absolutely nothing could have prepared me for the pure raw emotion that over took me.  I was lost, who was I if not a mom?  Intellectually, I knew I was still a mom, but my role as a mom was changing, plus I no longer knew who I was as a woman.

I don’t think anything really prepares you for the day your children leave, even with hearing that “this too shall pass” and “you are not alone.”  Even though at times this may help to ease the pain, honestly, there will still be those days and those moments that seem unbearable.

It has been 7 years now since my oldest son, Rhys moved out on his own.  My youngest, Chad for the most part is gone.  He does comes home on the weekends from college.  I like to believe it is to see me, but his girlfriend is the first one on his list these days.  My daughter, Heather moved out in-between the boys.  

Feathering Your Empty Nest is my journey of saying good-bye and “letting go” to one season of my life and rediscovering the woman I am.  In sharing my journey, my hope is to help those that are going through this thing they call “Empty Nest Syndrome,” so you do not feel so alone and lost, and to provide guidance and steps to help you find the woman you are!  It can be a wonderful time of your life!