Boomerang

This time last year, I was an emotional wreck.  I was preparing to send my youngest son to college and with that loomed the EMPTY NEST.  After we took him to school, the ensuing months involved a roller coaster of ups and downs in regard to our child-free home life.  His visits home were anticipated and cherished, especially if my oldest son could spend time at home, too. But during those first few months, saying, “goodbye” just didn’t get any easier.  

But, I was promised by friends who had been through the same thing that in time, it does get easier.  And they were right.

There’s a saying, “Be careful what you wish for… you might just get it.”  

In June, I got it alright… both boys moved back home.

We expected the youngest one to move home, of course, because school was out for the summer. What we didn’t anticipate was a change in my oldest son’s circumstances, resulting in a U-Haul showing up at our house.  Since he was 19, he had lived on his own, but his roommates were going their separate ways when the lease was up.  He had a choice to move with one of the roommates, but it would have been further from his job and more money.  We all agreed that the smart thing would be to move home for a while and save some money.  

I was worried about my son not wanting to move home so I was actually shocked and pleasantly surprised when he admitted he was looking forward to it.  

Must be the home cooking :)

As much as my heart ached during the first few months of empty nesting, I adapted.  While some have a hard time adjusting to the quiet, I enjoyed it.  I enjoyed the house staying clean, the fridge staying full until the next shopping trip and uninterrupted time with my husband.

And now since June, I’ve had to adapt again, and it’s a mixed bag. On one hand, I now see my boys on almost a daily basis, and spending time with them is definitely different than the last time we were all under the same roof. They are more mature, bicker less with each other and sometimes empty the dishwasher without being asked!  But with a full house comes more mess, more groceries, more cooking and more full trash cans which seem to never get emptied except by my husband or me.

I know the empty nest will come again.  I know there will be a few tears when they leave… again.  But having gone through it once, I now know what to expect and what to look forward to on the other side.

This experience proves that parenting is a living, breathing animal.  When you settle into a new phase, like empty nesting, watch out, it can change in the blink of an eye!