by Robert | submitted on November 23, 2008
I am a husband and empty nest father. My daughter and son are both in college, different colleges. I miss them. I more so miss my wife.
I thought we would have time for us now. She is still sad and I get that, but when and how do I get us back?
That sounded absurd when I just wrote it. I know it is a loss for her. Me too. We just deal differently. I want her to get some professional help and she is doing that. Our children have been in college for two years now. We have been married for twenty.
Where are all the dads and husbands? I feel alone with these changes. We hurt too and are confused. I too saw a therapist.
Sometimes I feel like I am married on paper but single on the weekends. We both work and like our work. I have tried talking, planning outings for us for part of a day, movies, dinner out, walks and more. I don’t want to abandon us but I wonder if other husbands are going through this in the empty nest. It is not hormonal because we saw a physician about that issue.
Any advice would be helpful from you dads and husbands out there.
Is anyone going through this with their partners?
Thank you,
Robert
Natalie Caine, M.A. natalie@lifeintransition.org
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