Sunday, August 17, 2008

Empty Nest - Part 2

Back in May 2005, I was accused of suffering from empty nest syndrome (I encourage you to go back and read my blog post here). Well, today, the nest moved one more step towards empty.

My youngest child, my son, moved off to college today. It's not a long trip, about an hour, and in fact, I've got to take him some things he forgot tomorrow. Such is the life of an "empty nester" - the job is never done.

I've decided that the anxiety that is expected to accompany and empty nest is over all of the things that you forgot to teach the one who has left. Does he know to brush his teeth? What if he forgets a homework assignment? Did he write down every transaction in his checkbook? I'm sure there are MANY things I've forgotten to teach him over the last 18 years and many more things that he was taught, but he just didn't learn.

But regardless, he's off to a new phase of his life and so, I begin a new phase of my life. For the first time in almost 25 years, there are no children living at home. I'm not sure what this new phase brings, but I look forward to finding out. Who knows, maybe I'll be like Terry Bradshaw in the movie Failure to Launch and turn his room into my Naked Room. But probably not until he moves out for good.

4 comments:

Ashley Beth said...

oh no! Please don't give us a visual!

Brooke said...

He'll make it out OK. Sure, there's a learning curve without the 'rents around, but we all survive it, don't we?

You and the Mrs. should have fun now!!! ;)

Katie Pennington said...

I won't move back in with you, but I am more than happy to give you things to buy me if it will make you feel any less empty!

The Elliotts said...

If you do turn that room into anything that involves you not wearing any clothes please warn us so that we NEVER go in there. But I can't imagine my mom letting you turn that room into a naked room...at least not without putting up a fight.