Empty Nest (and fully tethered)

Posted on by Live & Learn

cereal-bowl

One child in Detroit, working.
Another, in New York City, working.
And their Dad,
at home,
tethered to gadgets,
and to them,
is reading.
And here it comes…

Katrina Kenison with Magical Journey, An Apprenticeship in Contentment:

“Yet there’s no need for me to be up at this predawn hour. There’s no place I have to be by nine, no work deadline hanging over me, no lunches to prepare, no child in the house who needs to be roused, hugged, fed, and hustled out the door. After years of alarms that always seemed to go off to soon, endless exhortations to “hurry up” and my sons’ predictable pleas for “just five more minutes,” my schedule is no longer dictated by career demands, school hours, or children’s needs.

I’ve poured a thousand bowls of cereal over the last twenty-odd years; these days, the only breakfast I’m expected to make is my own. I grew so accustomed to the daily stampede of feet up and down the stairs that I ceased to hear the noise, now silence, rings in my ears. I bestowed countless hasty good-bye kisses, my attention already elsewhere as I brushed lips to cheeks – only to wake one morning and realize that all those little good-byes had led, inevitably, to big ones.”

Photo: Tiffany Nguyen – cereal

29 thoughts on “Empty Nest (and fully tethered)”

  2. Yes it will happen to us all! I think so many parents struggle with the idea of an empty nest, and why so many of my friends still have their children living with them still at 23yrs. I won’t miss their mess! 🙂

  4. Which one is in Detroit? Marcie and I only live 15 minutes from the city. They’re welcome any time.

  5. I hear you. it took me a long time to be able to go do the grocery shopping, without feeling a bit sad… about NOT buying them ‘their’ special foods. 🙂

  6. Too many questions – ‘did I hug hard enough, remain in the moment enough, forgive enough, offer enough of myself’ and tho’ I can answer ‘yes’ when I look at the men who stand before me as men of character in their own right, I still can catch the hint of the smell of their hair after a bath.

  7. this made me tear up. we just had a conversation about this last night, after listening to music that focused on this very thing. it always makes me tear up. tell your detroiter if ever in need, i’m happy to help with whatever. unless it’s a felony of course )

  8. I can’t imagine how weird this is–sorrow and pride mooshed together, big space, relief, worry. Is this your wife’s experience, too? Are you doing this difficult dance together?

  10. You feel the tugging in your heart because there is Love…they are your precious babies…You long for them..to see them, to touch them, to read over their shoulder, to witness and hear their laughter, to protect them..I know you and your wife (how is she holding up?) have done a great job in preparing them for this part of their journey. 🙂 in which they will, struggle, learn, grow and soar to new heights.. Trust and Faith…For me, I am setting aside the emotion for the moment and thinking of the point of departure, did the goal get reached? Did one grow up to be a happy, healthy (in mind and body), independent, well liked individual who is able to think on their feet, have compassion, deep passion, have a good work ethic, good morals, an inner beauty and know that they came from Love and that the gift of Life is a miracle from God….I sense that they will continue to reach out to you and your wife for guidance & hugs-a parent love is priceless as is the love from a child.. A young adult child continues to mature and recognize the incredible love, support and the life you provided for them..Believe me they long for you, too…Navigating through each of Life’s breath can challenge us, certainly changes us and brings us to a point of yielding and recognition that we are where we are to be….Peace to you….

    1. I should have included these five words…certainly changes us,.. “moving us into the future”…,

      1. Thanks Christie. You captured it beautifully. As to Mom, she seems to be doing just fine. May be exhausted from being the one filling the cereal bowls. She reminded me that most of the tasks the author discusses above, were done by her. (Truth)

  12. Such a contrast to the sea turtle (it’s the season and Fort Lauderdale is one of their habitats; I’ve been watching them hatch) who lays it’s eggs, crawls back to the sea and never looks back.

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