May, the month of Mother\’s Day, kids on the way to graduating high school and college, getting a job or planning a wedding.

May. May we…

  • find excitement in figuring out what is next for us
  • have new visions of how to relate to our adult children
  • have faith that our children have learned to make good decisions for themselves
  • feel okay about them not knowing what is next for them
  • realize they left our nests because they were ready to fly

Empty nesting is the stage of life where the days of planning meals, carpooling kids and overseeing homework are replaced with the exciting days of having time to ourselves to do and be anything we want. Our new lives can be filled with adventure and personal satisfaction.

Free time. When kids are around, moms always crave peace and quiet and time for themselves. Funny, isn\’t it that in the Empty Nest one isn\’t sure just what to do with free time? Truth is, we are so used to “doing” rather than “being” that we feel off balance and less energetic when space opens.

Take time to sit and breathe … no one has to know how you spend your day.

Meet a friend for a walk or lunch at the last minute. Be spontaneous.

Recognize when you have increased energy and when it is depleted … plan activities based on how you\’re feeling at the moment.

“What lies behind us and what lies before us are small matters, compared to what lies within us.” – Emerson

May you celebrate all that you are and have been as a mother, grandmother, woman, friend, daughter, sister, cousin, partner and wife. Enjoy giving and receiving love.

One surprise at this stage of life is that not only are our roles as mothers changing as our children leave the nest, but we too are being required to grow and fly into the next stage of our lives too.

Reminders:

  • Your adult children need time to sort through things themselves … step back a bit and give them some space.
  • Don\’t worry so much about what others think of you.
  • Let people know what you need and negotiate your wants.
  • Lower your expectations of how things should be and focus on what\’s happening in the moment.

    • May you step in a direction that allows you happiness, curiosity, and compassion.

    Happy Mother\’s Day!

    ” I learned … that inspiration does not come like a bolt, nor is it kinetic, energetic striving, but it comes into us slowly and quietly and all the time, though we must regularly and every day give it a little chance to start flowing, prime it with a little solitude and idleness.” Brenda Ueland

    Natalie Caine Founder of Empty Nest Support Services

    Natalie Caine is the founder of Empty Nest Support Services. When her daughter was a senior in high school, she realized that as a soon-to-be “empty nester,” she would be undergoing a major life shift. Not wanting to confront this transition alone nor have her many friends face this abyss without strong support, she created a support services group, which quickly grew into a new career and an exciting full-time business.