Sunday, October 5, 2008

Empty Nest sucks (so far)



I so miss my little girl. I know she's not really a little girl anymore and I know that going off to college is how it's supposed to work and she'll do well. Even though she's only an 8 hour drive away, it's just not the same as having her here. Mornings aren't the same, dinner's not the same. Weekends aren't the same. At times, I feel lost. Especially when I get home from work. I'm feeling very selfish and just don't want to give her up to the world.

It's funny, I used to get a little annoyed at how she just couldn't wait for me to get in the door and would meet me in the driveway or even walk to my work to catch me on my way home just to tell me about her day. Now, I miss it. She's such a Chatty Kathy and would tell me everything and ANYthing. Well, actually she still does, but phone calls and emails just aren't the same. You know what I mean?

Sometimes she tells me things I don't want to hear but I just listen and do my best not to let on that I'm shocked or embarrassed by the conversation. I felt that was important to keep the communication going through her teens. I wanted a better relationship with my daughter than I had with my mom. While her topics sometimes caught me off guard, I never let on. As a result, I think, I never once got the one word answers typical of most teenagers when asked about their day at school.

Since she left for college, I have totally delved into everything to keep busy. I've been canning, gardening, cleaning, sewing. Totally busy all the time. I'm told that once I get past this Empty Nest Syndrome, I'll actually enjoy having no kids at home. I'm wondering how long that takes?

3 comments:

Chris said...

Lisa Marie,

Thanks so much for visiting my blog and leaving a comment! I have enjoyed reading yours.

I know the empty nest syndrome, and it does get "better" over time. Keeping busy helps.

Love your baskets! I am off to check your website...

Chris

Unknown said...

Very nice blog site..Empty nests are part of life and as empty as it seems.. Its not bad. It is a change and change is good.. Memories fill that nest and those memories are taken from it....they will return,

Anonymous said...

Like you, my youngest left for college in August. Long story, but I thought it would be an extremely difficult time for me, but I gave it lots of thought and made a conscious decision that this wouldn't be an empty nest but a time of deliberate living and of fulfilling dreams. Yes, I miss my daughter (and my son, who is a senior in college), but I'm also loving this stage of my life. Good luck and hang in there!