Are you prepared for an empty nest? Your rising college freshman is ready to vault into a new season of life, but what about you? Whether you’re agonizing over the day or are ready to ship off your know-it-all young adult, this season disrupts the home life.
After we’ve given ourselves a moment to recover from the initial emptiness and loss, we discover there are benefits to this season. Here are my top ten:
10. Sleep, glorious sleep. You’ll no longer need one ear alerted for the door opening after curfew. No boys wrestling in sleeping bags in the other room. No bevy of girls raiding the pantry at midnight to bake cookies and leaving the dishes for you. No junkers revving on the street, car alarms accidentally going off, or loud shouts of goodbye while you try to get some vestige of beauty rest.
9. Increased free time. You can shop for groceries at 3:30 when everyone else is picking up their children from school. You can leisurely drink your coffee or tea in the mornings without worrying if your teenager has his lunch or backpack. No more waking at 6:00 on the weekends to watch your kid’s sports in 100-degree temps or sweltering indoor pools.
8. Calm and order prevail. Pantry and cupboard doors stay closed, lights are turned off, and garage doors are closed. Breakfast returns in the morning, lunch is at noon, and dinner is consumed in the early evening. You can now lie on your couch and watch your favorite show. Your quiet time can actually be quiet.
7. You pick your adult friends. If you hung out with the parents of your children’s friends, you might find the connection now lost. But this is your chance to build new relationships with those who have similar interests.
6. New adventures await. Think of impromptu weekends away, new restaurants, or visits to historical sites (the ones your kids groaned about). Write down the top ten adventures you’d like to take and do one! Soon you’ll be visiting your child on campus for the family weekend—another chance to experience new foods, ideas, and shopping spots.
5. Adulting for you. You can schedule your own upper-level class. Whether it be yoga, a conference, or a new hobby, pursue the dream that’s laid dormant all these years.
4. Home sweet home. Imagine a clean house where you won’t trip over the pile of laundry or the set of shoes at the door. You won’t need to gather or wash all the cups littering your home. Your previously pilfered cereal box will remain in the pantry. Your driveway will be free of vehicles so you can back up unhindered. Your home will resemble the glorious houses on HGTV!
3. Reignite your relationship with your husband (A-hem)! Remember those distant date nights? Switch off planning romantic escapades with your husband. Flights and fancy dinners for two are cheaper now with just the two of you. Consider meeting another couple for a night on the town.
2. Food choices galore. Buy that orange juice with lots of pulp. Serve the pinto bean soup your kids loathed. Splurge on the wild salmon instead of farm-raised. Speed past the fast-food drive-through lane. Grow fresh vegetables or visit farmer’s markets.
Drum roll, please!
1. They return! They’ll bring home two months of laundry for you to do. Your cup collection will disappear again. Snack bags and cereal boxes will emerge in the most unusual places. They’ll hijack your TV. Food will become scarce. You’ll be thankful they go back in a couple of weeks, but what joy to see them growing, maturing, and blossoming into the person God created them to be.
This post is a reprint from August 2018