LIFE, FAMILY and FUN

With my youngest child off at her first year of college, and my oldest child graduated from college and making his own way, I’m totally free in terms of my time for the first time in over 20 years. No school schedule, no fitting my plans around track or cross country seasons, recitals or performances, dentist and doctor appointments for somebody else. People ask what are you going to do with all this free time? Or do you like being an “empty nester”? Honestly my nest is not empty, you don’t ever stop being a parent, you just become a different kind of parent. I think the phrase “empty nest” is stupid. I enjoyed the phase of my life when I was such a big part of my children’s life on a day to day basis, it was everything I ever wanted and more, then. Now I have choices I have not had in so long, and I have developed tastes, perspective, even some wisdom I think to choose with intention and savor. Sometimes I’ll do everything, other days I will do absolutely nothing. I will offer a no because I want to, not because I have to. And I will say yes more often and with more freedom.