Empty Nest

It happened so fast. I expected my kids to ease into their teen years, to leave the nest slowly. Instead it seemed to have happen in just a couple of months. My older son got a full time job and my younger son signed up for football. They are both so busy chasing their dreams, taking on responsibilities and having fun and I feel like I've done a pretty good job so far. They seem balanced in their approach to life.

And although they're still living at home, it's feeling increasingly like a pit stop - a safe haven for renewal between adventures. And that's okay. There's something about holding the space for them - like moving from a full time mom to an Emeritis position I am still able to provide something they need and that feels good.

Raising children can be all consuming and when they hit their teen years it can feel like a bit like forced retirement. I'm still eternally grateful to a friend who pointed out to me that she had worked part time from home until her kids finished college. She said that, in her experience, her children needed her as much in their 20's as they did when they were 3 - but in a different way.

I am grateful because, not only does it help me to be a better mom but it helps me realize it's not quite time to retire.