Father’s Day for empty nester Mike is a tradition of calling his daughter and saying, “ARE YOU STILL MY LITTLE GIRL BECAUSE I AM STILL YOUR PROUD DAD?” He knows she will call from her kitchen and he still likes dialing her number from his. What child wouldn’t want to get that phone call? What
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People stop and stare at this painted building in San Francisco. An empty nester mom said to me, “I was never allowed to paint on a building and I am an artist.” What do you wish you were allowed to do without an authority saying, “NO, you can’t do that.” Who do you project “authority”
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Look for something to add beauty to your transition days. For me, it is flowers and photos. What is it for you that helps during changes besides for the softest Kleenex during a well needed deep cry, over and over or comfort food like Mac and Cheese? I start my day in my small
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Empty bird house with a knob that could open what? Parents and Boomers shared with me that the overall do over in parenting would be to worry less and simply enjoy the relationship with their children and to not compare themselves with what other families are doing. They talked about intellectualizing parenting by over thinking
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College is over. High school is over. Faded memories for everyone. Summer weddings and new families joining. Boot camp and service. Parents are asking me, now what? How do I have a good summer with my adult children and enjoy it when I know they will leave? Who am I? Transitions will never end, so
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Isn’t this signup sheet fun? I saw it at the UCLA BOOK FAIR. My friend said she wanted to post it on her front door as an idea for summer fun. So how about sharing with others, ideas of what to read this summer? I am reading: THE SECRET LIFE OF EMILY DICKINSON
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Are your children back home or not coming home except for a short visit? Are your children planning marriage, boot camp, or internships? Season changes into summer. I always long for a vacation. Memories of family trips and splashes in the back yard pool, followed by wet feet on the house floor and burning the
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Are your children back home or not coming home except for a short visit? Are your children planning marriage, boot camp, or internships? Season changes into summer. I always long for a vacation. Memories of family trips and splashes in the back yard pool, followed by wet feet on the house floor and burning the
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I saw this statue and felt its protection. I wondered who is a constant in the lives of Boomers and Empty Nesters? Children leave, friends move away, parents die, couples divorce, finances and health change, and still there is someone who stands up for you, isn’t there? I think you only need one person that
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Transitions are explorations and frustrations. I am often asked, “Why is it so hard to figure out what is next for me?” You haven’t been here before and who you were in the past is a part but not the whole of who you are. Shift your perception of having to grab answers now
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Did you think you would feel this way? A mother called me sobbing, “she will never sleep in her room again and I thought I was prepared for her leaving but I’m a wreck.” She went on to share how beautiful her daughter looked and that she loved picking out the dress and location for
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Do you worry your children’s future will be less happy than parts of your life? What trees do your children need to climb in order to gather inner resources of independence and kindness? As parents, we want our children to give back, be responsible and find a path that is fulfilling, as well as, pays
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Natalie Caine, M.A. natalie@lifeintransition.org