<p>Yes, it is bittersweet indeed, doing a good job and having so much go right. My kids are indeed flying–2500 and 5000 miles from us. We do hope that one day they will re-settle back in our island, as they SAY they want to. Time will tell and all we can do now is watch them soar and cheer them on.</p>
<p>You will miss them, sure. But, be excited for them. Being upset will cause them to feel guilty and anxious. If you act as their supporters and give them confidence to go into college with grace and sophistication, they will achieve great things.</p>
<p>Just remember that you are a person, human being. Although kids are the most enjoyable experience in life, we are not fullfilled unless we are doing other things that we enjoy. So, make sure to be happy, whatever it takes even if you need to find some new activity (as I did). It is one of our responsibilities to make sure that we are happy. think about many others, sick or having something else that prevents then from being happy and they cannot do absolutely anything about it. Those who are able, have an obligation to be happy.</p>
<p>What wonderful advice, Joegsph and Miami! Since I homeschooled my only d, I think that there has been only a total of 5 days that we have not been together----it’s going to be a major change for us both but we’re excited to see what new vistas open for us both. I’m going to be reading a few books on the empty nest as well as about other things! It’s ME time!</p>
<p>Absolutely Bungalow. I spent most of this year worrying about my kids, and feeling sad that they weren’t here. Now the younger is transferring home to commute to who knows where and they older is graduating, coming home with no job yet. Be careful what you wish for!! Ha ha! Wish I had spent more time having FUN.</p>
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<p>Just got back last night with H from a great week visiting D. What a great hostess she was, and it was H’s first time seeing her apartment. We miss her so much, but in August she will only be 2hrs. away instead of 21 (3 by plane).</p>
<p>I like the idea of moving on to the next phase. It might be disconcerting at first because your in such a strange position now with time on your hands and a quiet house, but it won’t take long until you find something fun to do. </p>
<p>Maybe it is time to remember what it is that you love to do but never had the time for. Once you have decided that the time has come to move on it will get easier. If you have too much time on your hands then do something to fill it until those old ideas of what you are interested in come back.</p>
<p>Since you have been so so helpful with getting your kids where they need to go maybe you could do the same for other kids. You could work as a teachers aid or even get a job in the office part of a school for older kids. If you don’t need a job then start volunteering with mentoring kids on how to transition them from high school to college. So many don’t have a clue how to make that happen.</p>
<p>Of course if you already know of something that you have been wanting to do, like paint or take photographs or even clean out all the closets, then now you can. hurry up though because before you know it years will have passed and those kids that just left home are going to be asking you to babysit the grand-kids!.</p>
<p>I cannot even read this thread, I realize, as it will make me blubber. I told my son today that he is leaving the nest and that I was thinking of becoming a house mom at a sorority or fraternity as I think they still have these. He freaked. Since when do my kids get to tell me what I get to do next? ;)</p>
<p>Hi, do you still check in to CC? I posted a similar questions today. I am a very discontent lawyer who would like to make my avocational interest in human rights vocational.
How are you and your children doing, and how did you switch to health policy? Best.</p>
<p>This is beautifully said. Wishing you well-</p>
<p>I’ve been avoiding reading this thread. I see it every time I log on; I know it’s here waiting for me, but kept telling myself, “not yet.” ok , now he has chosen his school, we’ve paid the deposit. But it can’t be over yet, can it? He’s in the midst of baseball season…oh my, how many times have I watched him pitch? starting with tee ball. And now I count exactly how many games are left. 37 days till graduation. S1 didn’t feel like this, because I was still so busy with his little brother. And S1 chose a school only an hour away. S2 will be 8 hours away. I just want to be sure to make this summer one we’ll enjoy.</p>
<p>No, it’s not time to be sad yet! I was feeling the same sort of sadness last year at this time when my youngest decided on his college 7 hours away. It’s important to focus on what’s going on now and enjoy it AND to think about what you can do to make yourself happy (quickly) in the fall. I talked my husband into taking a few days off after we dropped our son off at college and that really did help. Instead of dropping him off, turning around and going back to the (empty) house, we drove a couple of hours further north and spent two nights in Montreal.</p>
<p>The next chapter can be fun too!</p>
<p>kathiep, that’s good advice.
I’ll try to remind myself every day to live in the moment these next few months. We have baccalaureate mass and graduation still to come, the party the night before with family coming in to town (OMG, what am I going to feed everyone?). Several more baseball games at which I will keep score, as I have for a decade. Honors student reception. The trick will be to be sure I enjoy it all without constantly thinking “this is the last time we’ll do this.”</p>
<p>SJR: You have so many firsts in front of you now. :)</p>
<p>SJR- Make the most of your summer. The advice to take a detour after dropping him off at college is an excellent one. Do something fun that will take your mind of worrying about him and wondering what he is doing. Before you know it, it will be Parent Weekend, then he might have a Fall break, and in a flash it is Thanksgiving. I found not having the sporting events to attend very difficult, I missed that a lot, forgetting about the stress that was involved in racing around to get to everything back in the day. Most importantly, make the most of it. I realize now that I spent way too much time obsessing over what my kids were doing, if they were happy and just worrying in general. Now I have a grad with no job on the horizon returning, and a freshman that was a 3 hour plane ride away (which I was depressed about daily) coming home to transfer to a local college and commute. I am so sorry I didn’t enjoy myself more, and worry less. As long as your son is happy you can be too! I wish you both the best.</p>
<p>And I am sure it has been said before, but before you know it they are back. I can’t believe the semester is almost over and both kiddos will be home for the summer in a matter of weeks. Those planets haven’t aligned for a long time between summer internships and abroad studies, but here we are!</p>
<p>VeryHappy, ah, many firsts! What a great way of looking at it! I better write that down.</p>
<p>Son is almost finished with his second year. My list
Sold the big house, designed and built a smaller one
Volunteer regularly at the local food bank
Read at least 50 books on a variety of topics
Took 4 vacations to places I had always wanted to see
Started a consulting business which netted a profit of almost $40k last year
Began an excercise program and lost 45 pounds</p>
<p>And yet most days I feel like I am just marking time between his breaks from school. He recently found out that he landed a summer internship at an OOS university so he will be home a total of 19 days this summer. And so it goes…</p>
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<p>Ah no, that’s too too sad. You have done so much these past two years!! You are probably having as many adventures as he is. Keep it up. It’s fun to have new adventures. You also need to meet some new people and find out how interesting they can be.</p>
<p>Ballroom dancing! My wife and I are having a blast.</p>
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