Why is it, that you always feel better when you know at least one other person has been through the trial that you are presently facing yourself? I had a dear friend who is now an EMPTY NESTER. She and her husband are they authorities on the subject, because they have been doing it for a few years. When she saw me today with all my family sitting in the pew at church, she said..."I bet you are enjoying having so many of your kids home aren't you? " "Enjoy every minute of it". I knew that she truly understood. Although we are not completely Empty Nesters but quickly approaching that season in my life, I am trying to prepare the best I can. My heart is hurting so...I am guessing I still have lots to learn.
I love the books Chicken Soup for the Soul, the very first book was published in 1993...it was obviously something that people needed. I personally get thrilled when I get one. One that I think was the perfect gift for me, was one that my dear friend gave me when I was diagnosed with Cancer for the first time. I was still in shock, scared and and that book was pure inspiration to me. To hear true life stories of others who had survived and thrived since their cancer, was completely what I needed, how grateful I was for her thoughtfulness. It does help to know that someone else has been there, done that.
So tomorrow I believe after my Physical Therapy, I am going to go out and buy the Chicken Soup for the Empty Nester's Soul, because I am already dreading having my house get more empty every day. I love having it full and with all my kids around.
Here is the Synopsis on that book if you might want to get one yourself.
Synopsis
This is Chicken Soup for the Soul's first book on a very emotional but exciting time for parents - sending their children off to college or new homes and careers.
This terrific book is a must read for empty nesters or soon-to-be empty nesters. It contains 101 stories written by parents who have been there already and share their stories with new empty nesters. These heartfelt stories will inspire, support, and amuse parents grappling with their own bittersweet new freedom. The book also includes stories from the kids themselves, providing the view from the other side. Parents will nod their heads, cry a little, and laugh a lot as they recognize themselves and their almost grown-up children in these stories.
In this book, parents share stories of gazing at surprisingly clean bedrooms, starting new careers, rediscovering their spouses, and handling the continuing, and often humorous, needs of their children even while they are away at college or ensconced in their own apartments.
"A mother is not a person to lean on, but a person to make leaning unnecessary." ~ Dorothy Canfield Fisher
"Mothers hold their children's hands for a short while, but their hearts forever." ~ Unknown
"No matter how old a mother is, she watches her middle-aged children for signs of improvement." ~ Florida Scott-Maxwell
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