Empty Nest

My eldest is a high school senior this year. My youngest is in her last year of middle school. My middle child is on track to graduate early, meaning next year may be his last year of high school, before going off to college.

Needless to say, I’m tasting the unsavory flavor of transitions and a soon to be empty nest.

Life is full of firsts. It’s full of transitions, full of new chapters. Each new chapter signals the ending of a current chapter. This is probably the most challenging thing for me. As my eldest is already making that transition, it seems, to early adulthood, responsibility, experiencing life, I find myself wanting to cling onto the past. Cling to the little girl who used to wear tulle skirts and twirl with mommy like a ballerina in the living room.

I admit, y’all, this is difficult. I know that I’m not the first parent to send a kiddo off to college. I even know that I have just under a year left with her. But, where did the time go? I increasingly find myself reminiscing about the days gone by and wishing to avoid any tomorrow which means my little girl is all grown up.

Transitions are hard! (even for the best of us)

As we learn to navigate this transition and the growing pains associated with it, I am learning even more, what it means to love like God, our Father. His love is unconditional. His grace and mercy are unmerited, still, He bestows these gifts upon us day in and day out. As a child of God, I fail Him, time and again, yet, He loves me. He forgives me. He has never, and will never, leave me, nor forsake me. I want to parent like this. I want to demonstrate the same love, grace, mercy, etc.. to my children and others.

Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee. Deuteronomy 31:6 KJV

*Original Image by Yours Truly 🤍🌸