Facing My Empty-Nest Future

When my daughter left for college two years ago, it was SO HARD because we had (and still have) an amazing mother/daughter relationship. We shopped together, got our nails and hair done together, tried out new restaurants, and went to some spectacular musicals. We even got matching tattoos when she turned 18! To say I missed her when she left would be a HUGE understatement, but I adjusted. It wasn’t that I didn’t miss her like crazy, it was more about knowing in my heart she was where she needed to be and doing what she wanted to be doing. Also, I still had my son at home and would have him for a whole two years before he had to leave! 

My time with my son, although different, has been equally wonderful. Together with my hubs, the three of us have bonded over Houston Astros baseball, The Walking Dead, and Survivor. Sometimes, only my son and I would do things. Like the time I took him to the Astros celebratory parade after we won the World Series. It was during the day and my hubs couldn’t make it, so it was just the two of us. It was hot, we were sweaty, and we waited over an hour for the parade. And when the Astros started rolling down the streets on top of fire trucks, it was amazing! I will never forget that moment with my son.

But our two years has come and gone. And now my son is about to leave for college...

One of the truest sayings about time is the days are long, but the years are short. I never really understood what that meant until my kids started growing up with lightning speed and, eventually, college was staring us in the face. So this summer, I’ve tried to slow down time and focus on making even more memories. We took a family trip to Europe in early June, spent a week at my aunt’s beach house in July, and overall have just been enjoying the summer. I’ve cherished this time with my kids! And we’ve created amazing memories!

But alas, we did not stop time...

My boy leaves for college this week. After that, my girl leaves. I’m so proud of my kids and who they are and what they're doing. And although I’d like nothing more than to stop time, or even slow it down a little bit, I choose to embrace change. And so I face my empty-nest future knowing that wonderful things still await me and my family. And I can’t wait!