Empty Nest

The jelly is out of the doughnut. What? The bird has left the nest. Huh? The children have all grown up and moved out. Oh. 

Funny, I don’t feel that old but the sand in the hour glass never lies. I suppose it’s bittersweet. On the one hand, I loved having the kids around the house. On the other hand, I couldn’t wait for them to grow up and leave. Well, I’ve gotten my wish and it’s not quite what I expected. I’m sadder than I thought I’d be. I’m sure I’ll adjust. The trick is to focus on the benefits. More alone time. More time with my wife. (Hey, where did she disappear to anyway?) Okay, so maybe it’s just more alone time? Seriously, I’m looking forward to going out. We can travel a little. We can tidy up the house and actually wake up to find it just the way we left it. I can take a shower whenever I want. I can walk around wearing just my…never mind. The joys of living in the empty nest!

Of course, I’ll miss not having the kids around. No, really I will. The house feels empty sometimes – a little too quiet. I’m still catching myself wonder where they are before I remember they’re elsewhere. Then I’m sad… until I realize they took their mess (oops, I mean their stuff), their laundry, and their lizard. And then a smile creeps in slowly. If only I could figure a way for them to take the college debt too…hmmm. Hey, didn’t somebody mention doughnuts?