I came across a Reel on Facebook talking about what moms really need for Mother’s Day. She kept saying “Chances are,” followed by general remarks like, “you have probably been sleeping through the night, uninterrupted, for a very long time. Maybe even DECADES…”
I became a grandma at 37, with five kids still at home between the ages of 16-6. Chances are…. no. Chances are, we have grandkids over most weekends since four of our six kids have kids of their own. But here’s the thing: I did my time. I love my grandkids, but I was a parent to minor kids from the time I was 20 until I was 49. That was only three years ago. I still work full-time. My husband and I have never been without kids, because we got together with kids and then had more.
This is OUR TIME. We finally get to spend time together, alone. We travel. We hike, We spend time together trying things we’ve never tried, learning about ourselves, and deepening our relationship.
We are empty nesters, sort of. Our 23-year-old son still lives at home, but he is on the Autism spectrum and needs a little guidance. Still, we are free to travel, go out, and do what we want to. We aren’t raising anyone anymore. We don’t have to be home for __________. Choose your reason. It does not apply. The at-home kid can feed the animals.
I love my grandkids. We enjoy having them over on the weekends, or even for a few hours on a weeknight, for dinner and scooter riding or cookie baking. We are available, accessible, and appreciative of the time we get with them. But we are ever more so desiring of our own time, our own experiences. THIS is empty nesting.
The kids are raised. We aren’t homeschooling. We don’t have volleyball or wrestling or karate. We don’t have band or science classes or youth group. We do have work. And projects with the grown kids. We have shop time, hiking, car and yard maintenance, and animals to care for. And I have University.
But this is my season. My empty nest season. It is my time now. I get to choose what I spend my energy on. It’s about time.
