or the absence of unfolded laundry left in the dryer..
or a dirty frying pan in what was briefly an empty sink...
or an empty bottle of conditioner in the shower...
or leftovers in Styrofoam crowding the refrigerator...
or half full water bottles left on the counter?
Am I ready for all that? Hmmmmm? It will be an adjustment but yes, I do believe I am.
All kidding aside, it is time but I will miss both her and my grandson. Luckily they will only be 15 minutes away so we will see them often.
I've added a couple more things to the give away...a cute little bowl and an antique spice grinder. Here is the link to the original post so that you can leave another comment. Just tell me if you are an empty nester or not and how the adjustment period was for you?
xo, Patty
i hope it will work out smoothly. i guess what was sweet for me was when my Mom told me how it was for her when i left the house. made me feel extra special. she said she cried & cried. but i guess it is part of growing up & moving on. there will always be visits, family gatherings, & other special moments to look forward too. ( :
ReplyDeleteWell Im not an empty nester per say because I dont have my own children but I did help raise my niece and nephew and we all lived together so when my oldest nephew moved out it was really hard at first.. Sometimes it still is but you get used to it.. it's great your daughter will only be 15 mins away too! :)
ReplyDeleteI've been an empty nester for a long time. It was easier for me than when my youngest started kindergarten!
ReplyDeleteBrenda
Oh, Patty, I have moaned and groaned about this subject on my blog forever. My daughter is getting married in 2 weeks and she and her fiance just bought a house and moved in 3 weeks ago. I miss her SO much! She's only 5 minutes away but I miss her! It's just not the same and I don't do "change" very well. I still have my youngest college age daughter at home and I know it will be awhile before she graduates and gets settled in a job, but then I will truly have an empty nest. Some of you ladies have told me I will have a whole new life, I can have all sorts of new hobbies and interests and that I'll love the peace and quiet. Hmmmmm...I'm still wondering about all that!! Now I know why everyone advised me that they grow up so fast! Very true!
ReplyDeleteXO,
Jane
I was excited to get my first apt. but my mother fought tooth and nail, she could not bear to be by herself, I am an only, so a lot of back and forth for me. We wound up back together as she had so many health issues, and would be on the floor and couldn't get herself up. I gave up my apt., she sold her house and we bought a two family. We did just fine. xo
ReplyDeleteWait, is my daughter at your house too? Lol, Not an empty nester yet, my youngest is still here, but after the initial shock of the kids growing up and leaving the nest, I think we are spurred on to reclaim our own lives don't you? I really think when the time comes, I will be a lot more calm about the whole thing than I was when my oldest daughter left. That was not pretty, with months of tears on my part! When the kids leave we gain a new perspective and eventually a new relationship with them.
ReplyDeleteI'm an empty nester. It took some time to adjust - and it didn't help that WE were the ones who had to move away for a couple of years. I cried a lot, cooked too much, and absent-mindedly set the table for too many people a few times.
ReplyDeleteNow, I like the way my house stays neat (except for my own mess). I love it when the children come home and the house is once again filled with laughter and chatter. Sometimes it's hard to see them leave again, other times, I'm glad for a little quiet.
Patty,
ReplyDelete"Mr. Ed" and i have been "empty nesters" for many, many years!!!
Our son and daughter~in~law are 5 miles South of us. . .
thus the reason to arrive On Crooked Creek!
We enjoy our "quietness" and yet,
look forward to and cherish every moment for family occasions!!!
Fill your "adjustment" times with things you enjoy doing. . .
and schedule a family outing or occasion soon!!!
Fondly,
Pat
My hubby and I are empty nesters. Our oldest daughter got married 10 years ago, but my youngest just moved out a few months ago. At first, it seemed so quiet!! Now, I'm loving being empty nesters. We are lucky that both of our girls only live 15 to 20 minutes away...so we get to see them and our 2 grandkids often.
ReplyDelete~Cindy
Oh my goodness, an empty nest. One can only imagine what that must be like!!!!
ReplyDelete; )
xo Kris
Empty nest, but a heart full of memories. I love that our daughter lives close, so we see her often.
ReplyDeleteMy nest is half empty - Big Sis left last September to go to University in London - Little Sis will be with us for at least a couple more years and, do you know, so far the adjustment has been okay. She has been home countless times and of course now there is Skype we can catch up so easily. I think what has helped is knowing that she was ready to go - champing at the bit - and that she has made a wonderful supportive bunch of friends. When she went back after the Easter break she was full of cold - but she had a dear friend who was going to meet her from the train, help her with her luggage and cook her some tea. We enjoy the noise and (even!) the mess when she returns but it is also quite nice to relax when she goes back. You will be fine. It sounds like you have a strong relationship and distance can't negate that x Jane
ReplyDeleteOh it is bittersweet. So glad they will be so close to you so you can continue to enjoy that little one. On the spice grinder...my mom has one of those.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy your new adjustment.
And I have one returning from college for the summer next week :-)
ReplyDeleteI think it is important for our homes to be a safe place as they make these transitions in life.
I am an empty nester. There are some days when it is very tough! The hardest thing for me was the distance the my son moved! Keeping busy and Bible studies have helped with the loneliness!
ReplyDeleteWith a challenging teenager in the house and another child hitting the teens soon, l must admit a bit of quiet sounds wonderful. When they moove out though, l will probably feel very different. Particularly when number four moves out. Hope your weekend will be a good one. Pam xx
ReplyDeletePerfect timing on this post...I believe you already know that I have two boys, but Phil, my oldest, passed away 3-1/2 years ago (he was 21). So we now just have Tim at home, and he is 22 right now. He has been attending junior college the past few years, so commuting from home. But now he is going away to university (not too far, but not too close either - 1 hr. + 20 min. drive) in August. He's moving out into his rental house on July 1st. So hard to believe that we're going to be empty nesters! I love having him here, but it's definitely time for him to be flying the coop. It'll be good (and hard!) for both of us. He has lived in this house his entire life and admittedly, I tend to do too much for him.
ReplyDeleteWhen my youngest left, she only moved across town and I knew I would see her often. I was not sad, I was very proud that she was ready to move on to the next phase of her life. And I was ready for my next phase too. We are both thrilled with our new "relationship". And are we are as close as ever. :) Kit
ReplyDeleteI surprised myself by actually loving it. I felt young again, and free! like I did before I had the kids. It was all about me for a change. I didn't have to answer to anyone, and whereas I thought perhaps my husband and I wouldn't know what to do with each other after years of sharing ourselves, I found we chatted more, and laughed, and it was really nice. THEN they all came back! for one reason or another, and now we're back to square one. Will we ever catch a break, lol.
ReplyDelete