Been there done that for sure. I was in tears too many times to count in all the 'lasts' as my 2 approached senior year. Last Boy Scout court of honor. Last X-C banquet. Last orchestra Festival of Strings. And on and on. My life was my kids. Our social life was mainly attending their things and chatting up the other parents - a few who were friends but most acquaintances. I had given up the career ladder for the more flexible (and less lucrative) self employed track, due to all the time I spent as volunteer mom for everything from debate team to athletic booster concession stand worker. But I am here 12 years post the last graduation to say it's gonna be OK. Once the shock of an empty-ish calendar wore off, it was not long before it was full again. Paid work. More political involvement. Joining a bible study group. Getting some of those long overdue home projects done. And cleaning the house and 2 days later it was still clean!
Oh I miss those little moments - the family vacations that faded as their schedules and ours became more and more challenging to mesh. The conversations at the dinner table. And to be honest, being needed. Although taking care of mom quickly became my new side gig and my son and his wife bought a fixer upper home a few years ago. I do look back wistfully at the too-fast kids at home era but frankly, it's also a relief when my younger friends talk about how frazzled they are with kid stuff....
This is such a lovely and relatable response. The empty-ish calendar is where I am now...especially compared to how it used to be. This is my first summer without evening baseball games to watch and I really do miss it. Hopefully my new side hustle retail company — my husband calls it an expensive hobby — will generate more interest/sales and I can fill some of my free time with that! I appreciate the note so much...it's like we get sick of being needed but then we also want to be needed, sick of feeling over-scheduled and then we're trying to fill the time...it's so human. Corny as it may sound, the whole seasons of life thing is real. My sister just had a very late-in-life baby and watching her does make me realize how all consuming that stage is and as much as I love to hold a sleeping baby for hours, I don't think I could go back and do it again. Anyway, thanks so much for reading and taking the time to comment too. love to you. xo
Been there done that for sure. I was in tears too many times to count in all the 'lasts' as my 2 approached senior year. Last Boy Scout court of honor. Last X-C banquet. Last orchestra Festival of Strings. And on and on. My life was my kids. Our social life was mainly attending their things and chatting up the other parents - a few who were friends but most acquaintances. I had given up the career ladder for the more flexible (and less lucrative) self employed track, due to all the time I spent as volunteer mom for everything from debate team to athletic booster concession stand worker. But I am here 12 years post the last graduation to say it's gonna be OK. Once the shock of an empty-ish calendar wore off, it was not long before it was full again. Paid work. More political involvement. Joining a bible study group. Getting some of those long overdue home projects done. And cleaning the house and 2 days later it was still clean!
Oh I miss those little moments - the family vacations that faded as their schedules and ours became more and more challenging to mesh. The conversations at the dinner table. And to be honest, being needed. Although taking care of mom quickly became my new side gig and my son and his wife bought a fixer upper home a few years ago. I do look back wistfully at the too-fast kids at home era but frankly, it's also a relief when my younger friends talk about how frazzled they are with kid stuff....
This is such a lovely and relatable response. The empty-ish calendar is where I am now...especially compared to how it used to be. This is my first summer without evening baseball games to watch and I really do miss it. Hopefully my new side hustle retail company — my husband calls it an expensive hobby — will generate more interest/sales and I can fill some of my free time with that! I appreciate the note so much...it's like we get sick of being needed but then we also want to be needed, sick of feeling over-scheduled and then we're trying to fill the time...it's so human. Corny as it may sound, the whole seasons of life thing is real. My sister just had a very late-in-life baby and watching her does make me realize how all consuming that stage is and as much as I love to hold a sleeping baby for hours, I don't think I could go back and do it again. Anyway, thanks so much for reading and taking the time to comment too. love to you. xo
Beautiful story
I love my 3 little girls and cherish every cuddle, moment, kiss, hug, because it goes by way too fast