3 Days to Empty Nesting Solo
Last night was rough. I woke up at 1:27 a.m. with my son pacing in the loft with only his phone light on. "Are you okay? "It's okay mom," he barked. "Nate, you sure?" I asked a few minutes later. "I'm fine." He sounded angry which concerned me. What made him that angry in the middle of the night? I was so tired, I chose to believe him and fell back asleep and woke again with him sounding like he was going to hurl. He was sick! So many thoughts flooded my brain. Oh no, our one
4 Days to Empty Nesting Solo
My dog Shelby always bolts when I cry. I was shocked last night when I had my first shoulder shaking, tear spurting meltdown and she stayed pressed into my side. It was like she knew I needed her. My son came upstairs and heard me which was a disappointment. I'm supposed to be strong for him. I'm not supposed to fall apart. Didn't I get the memo? The distress kept me awake. I didn't even toss and turn because I knew fighting anxiety was a pointless endeavor. I tried to watch
5 Days to Empty Nesting Solo
I only saw my son for a few minutes yesterday but the interaction was priceless. "I know what you're doing," I teased while brushing my teeth. "You do? What am I doing?" "I know." "What do you know?" He asked with his head tilted and a blank look on his face. "This," I held out the toothpaste smiling. I had kept finding his toothpaste in my bathroom vanity drawer and would relocate it back to his drawer. The next morning it would reappear in mine bringing a smile to my face.
6 Days to Empty Nesting Solo
Today started out differently than yesterday. I leveled up from numb panic to neurotic panic when I received some distressing news from a lifelong friend. Last night I learned they were stranded in the Middle East with drone and missile strikes firing off near their hotel. Hearing their efforts to get out made my son's departure to boot camp 3-dimensional. Not only is he going in, he's going in during the tumultuous Operation Epic Fury . The reality made my stomach spin to th
7 Days to Empty Nesting - My Son Leaves for Boot Camp
Until it happens, you can't possibly know how you'll feel when you face an empty nest. Admittedly, my son and I had lived separately for over a year until he moved back in October to spend his final days before boot camp at home. It's been wonderful to have him here. Our relationship had been volatile after I moved back to Florida without him so I was thrilled when he told me his plans. I quickly moved furniture, added temporary storage, and prepared my home for his return. I
Gray Haired Goddess
A hush fell over the room that seemed to shrink following my declaration. I had boldly declared to my upper-level bosses that when I was younger I had a “photographic memory” The silence stunned me. I wasn’t bragging, I was merely stating a truth that had spanned over most of my life. No one had ever doubted it before, it was obvious. What had changed? The reaction forced me to drill down into my recent interactions with people. Weird things had been lining up to tell me s
