Empty Nest

birds-and-babies

I have been seeing a lot of posts on Facebook where parents are taking pictures of their kids either beginning or graduating from school.  You know, the little kindergartener with their lunchbox and backpack standing out by the school sign, or the 18 year old in their graduation cap and gown.  I also like the ones where the parents are standing in tears by their son or daughter before dropping them off at their first year of college.  Such emotional times and so bittersweet, right?  I remember it well…

Where did the time go?!

One minute you are feeding your infant son or daughter and the next thing you know, you are giving them a Starbucks card so they can go buy their own beverage.  What?  Oh, there are the struggles of a 2 year old who is having a tantrum and there are the “lost years” of teen drama, but all in all, the love we have for our children never lessens and we want to hold them close.  One day, we have to face the reality that they no longer need our advice and  the advice from others will become more important to them. Oh, but what if they get hurt or make mistakes?!”  They will.  Isn’t that where you and I grew the most; from our mistakes and bad experiences?  Their turn, right?

Sometimes, we can’t wait for our kids to “fly out of the nest and spread their wings,” but as they walk away from us, a piece of our heart goes with them.  They will never understand until they experience that themselves, if, in fact, they do have children.  That is when trust in the Lord God and His love for our kids becomes stronger and stronger.  Our control lessens and He takes over.  He becomes their Parent now.

Now the house is empty and what is left is what we have built in our marriages and in our adult life, aside from the kids.  If we have spent most of our life focused on the children and not our marital relationship or on our own adult interests and development, the nest will seem barren and depressing.  “Why cook?  I don’t know what to do with myself now.  My days and nights seem endlessly lonely.  I don’t like this empty nest.  It’s TOO empty.” Sound familiar?

My guest on Chained No More Talk Radio will be author and speaker, Michele Howe.  This is an ENCORE program and she will be talking about “Empty Nest AND Adult Children? HELP!”  Michele will talk about letting go of adult children and how to do that well.  She will talk about the experience of living in an “empty nest” and how to make that a positive experience.  Tune in on Tuesday, October 4 at 2pm ET at www.toginet.com.