by Christine Whelan | submitted on March 7, 2007
I really love my children and I love having them around, but I also love the peace and quiet of my empty nest. I feel a little guilty about that but not often or very much. I think that is in part because I got married at age 19 and had my first child a few months later and by the time I reached twenty-seven I had five children. So I am enjoying getting to know my husband again, we often cook together and we cuddle more often on the couch to watch TV or a movie. We take short trips out of town for no reason at all and go to museums and shows more often. Oh sure, we could have been doing those things for the last several years and we did a little, but it just seems more spontaneous and carefree now. I am glad that I seem to have done my job, as I see it, and raised five independent and responsible adults. Of course, there are times when I wish I had a time machine so I could go back to fix some of my mistakes or just for the heck of it, so I could spend one more day with my children when they were young. If I had known how fast the time would go, I would have tried to slow it down somehow. Or pay more attention. But I guess my kids have turned out okay, and they know I am here for support and advice, (but only when asked) and they aren’t afraid to ask. What’s more they know that each other are there also. After all the years of quabbles, I rejoice that my kids often call, text or email each other to get advice or just to talk. So we are a close family, even though we are not geographically close and the nest is there whenever it’s needed
Natalie Caine, M.A. natalie@lifeintransition.org
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