Natalie was interviewed for the AARP article “How to Cope With an Empty Nest” by Sarah Elizabeth Adler. Here’s an excerpt: That said, if you’re distraught, you’re not alone. Natalie Caine, the founder of Empty Nest Support Services (which she started the year before her own daughter left for college), says that grieving is normal, whether
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You are no longer where you were and not sure what’s ahead for you. It is natural to collapse and stand tall over and over until you find your rhythm. Change happens. It is amazing we never had classes in school that prepared us for the unexpected. I know we are spread across the country and
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Posted in the Palisadian Post Aug 31, 2017
I drove to Santa Barbara to be with my friend who I have known for twenty-five years. We don’t get enough face-to-face time because she no longer lives in California, as I do. Isn’t it the best knowing you are going to be with someone who gets you, who carries your HISTORY, who could care
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If you know me, you know I love mentoring. No one wants to develop his or her life without support. I have had help and am daily grateful. You know how you have an idea and you are flowing along and then you lose momentum? It happens. What I hope for you is that along
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Adoption or birth of a child, fathers are ecstatic playing with their children. The love they give and receive changes them. Sure, you hear the stories of how they are showing up more by getting time off and taking it from work and how some are happily taking the role of care-taker as their wives
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Change: I think women and men have lived with themselves long enough to know what they enjoy, what they are good at, and what people acknowledge about them. I wasn’t surprised when I asked the women to write a short response to those above questions and many felt stuck. They said, “I don’t know what
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A major life transition is happening in May and June; high school, college, and grad school graduations. What I have been hearing from parents is how proud they are as their tears touch their face. They can’t believe they are viewing their child, grown, and crossing the stage to receive that diploma. For some families,
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A group of fun women asked me, “What do you do when you are in a funk?” I replied, “I seek and see beauty. I feel best when I get out the door.” Last week I was feeling disappointed. I could not muster up forgiveness or compassion to shift my funk. No matter what I
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My friend invited me to come join she and her six friends for a brunch at her house and lead a discussion about UNCERTAINTY. I began with a story about a woman I know. She wanted me to share this story, not her real name. Nicole has two children and lives solo. Actually, her husband
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Can You Relate To This Story? “If I tell them that I feel anxious, I am afraid they won’t include me. It just seems easier to be in the cult of wellness that is talking about cycling, juicing with added turmeric, organic food, meditation, getting into nature. Right now I am going through BIG CHANGES
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One of my friends is a painter, the other a writer and one a geek, as she says. When we were at dinner, we talked about the chaos of the world, the frustration of people talking on their cell phones in restaurants, and hurt feelings. I also shared about my thinking about the life of
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Natalie Caine, M.A. natalie@lifeintransition.org