{"id":744,"date":"2011-10-06T10:00:19","date_gmt":"2011-10-06T14:00:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/thequeenofmyself\/?p=744"},"modified":"2011-10-01T17:56:58","modified_gmt":"2011-10-01T21:56:58","slug":"field-notes-on-an-empty-nest-%e2%80%93-part-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/thequeenofmyself\/2011\/10\/field-notes-on-an-empty-nest-%e2%80%93-part-2.html","title":{"rendered":"Field Notes on an Empty Nest \u2013 Part 2"},"content":{"rendered":"

 <\/p>\n

I see “Begin Again” as an ideal theme for this season. We have the supreme opportunity now in the autumn of our midlife to begin again. How shall we reinvent our Selves? What new programs, projects and passions are on the horizon for us? Please send me your stories of change, transition, and transformation. Our shared experiences serve to inspire and empower us all.<\/em><\/p>\n

Thanks. <\/em><\/p>\n

xxQueen Mama Donna<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Field notes on an empty nest \u2013 Part 2<\/strong><\/p>\n

By Cindy La Ferle<\/a>, MI<\/strong><\/p>\n

A lot has changed since my son started college. I\u2019m still adjusting to the hollow echo of his (oddly) clean and empty bedroom, looking for remnants of my old self \u2014 my mothering self \u2014 in the bits and pieces he left behind.\u00a0The family calendar in our kitchen has some blank spaces, too, and is no longer buried under neon-color sticky notes announcing band concerts, Quiz Bowl meets, school conferences, and carpool schedules. At first, this was not cause for celebration. I\u2019d become what our high school mothers\u2019 club affectionately refers to as one of the \u201cAlumni Moms.\u201d<\/p>\n

While I suddenly found unlimited bolts of time to devote to my marriage and writing career, I mourned what I perceived to be the loss of my role as a hands-on parent. Despite the fact that I had a cleaner, quieter house, I missed all the athletic shoes and flip-flops piled near the back door. I missed the boisterous teenagers gathered around the kitchen counter, or in front of the television downstairs. I missed bumping into other parents at school functions, and wondered if life would ever be the same.<\/p>\n

Life isn\u2019t the same, but I\u2019m OK with that now. I\u2019ve come to realize that a mom is always a mom, even though her parenting role changes over time.<\/p>\n

Not long ago, I stayed at my own mother\u2019s place for a few weeks while I recovered from major surgery. When I apologized for disrupting her normal routine, she said, \u201cMy home will always be your home, too.\u201d I found comfort in knowing that. Yet at the same time, I missed my own house. And I felt grateful that Mom had encouraged me, years ago, to craft a life \u2014 and a home \u2014 of my own.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s hard to believe my son is packing for another year of college this week. The hall outside his bedroom is now an obstacle course of boxes, crates, and suitcases stuffed with everything he needs for the months ahead. I\u2019m still not very good at saying good-bye when his dad and I leave him at the dorm and steer our emptied SUV back to the expressway. I manage to compose myself until I notice the tearful parents of college freshmen going through this ritual for the first time. But it does get easier each term.<\/p>\n

So, is the nest half-full or half empty?<\/p>\n

Reflecting on the small bird\u2019s nest perched near my desk, I\u2019ve come to believe that every family is a labor of love and a work in progress.\u00a0It\u2019s a bittersweet adjustment, but I\u2019m at peace with the idea that our household is just one stop on our son\u2019s way to his future.\u00a0He\u2019ll be flying back and forth over the next couple of years or so. And hopefully, patience and love will be the threads that weave our family together, no matter how far he travels.<\/p>\n

*****<\/p>\n

Donna Henes is the author of The Queen of My Self: Stepping into Sovereignty in Midlife<\/em><\/a>. She is the Midlife Midwife\u2122 offering counseling and upbeat, practical and ceremonial guidance for individual women and groups who want to enjoy the fruits of an enriching, influential, purposeful, passionate, and powerful maturity.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Consult the MIDLIFE MIDWIFE\u2122: http:\/\/www.donnahenes.net\/queen\/consult.shtml<\/a><\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

The Queen welcomes questions concerning all issues of interest to women in their mature years. Send your inquiries to thequeenofmyself@aol.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

  I see “Begin Again” as an ideal theme for this season. We have the supreme opportunity now in the autumn of our midlife to begin again. How shall we reinvent our Selves? What new programs, projects and passions are on the horizon for us? 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