The Empty Nest

I have always tried to be a good mother and wife. I have a son and a daughter who are both grown with homes of their own. After my children left home and moved into a place of their own, I realized I was back to a empty nest, just like when my husband and I first started our lives together. The children were gone and I felt like I wasn’t needed anymore. My days were empty and lonely. No more p.t.a. meetings at school, no more parent and teacher conferences. What was I suppose to do now? I had fulfilled my purpose as a mother. I had raised my children to become their own person, to face life head on, to take their place in this world, but how was I suppose to exist without being needed by them everyday? My life has been changed because of my children. The joy of being young newlyweds starting out, to becoming new parents, to the children growing up and adventuring out on their own is only for a season, because when you return to an empty nest the reality sets in that the sweetness and pleasantness of life in the healthful days of one’s youth is a reminder that old age is creeping upon us. As I grow older I will advise my children to make everyday count for something, to enjoy life to its fullness and not be afraid of growing old. Life can only be good if we live it without regrets, because if we live long enough youthness will give way to aging. Life and children are precious but the pitter patter of little feet in the house will someday come to an end. Life goes on  and we never become a whole person until we live for the purpose for which we were created. The empty nest gives me time to reflect on the blessing of being a mother and raising my children and knowing in my heart that this was the greatest gift a person could be given. The chance at being a parent.