Existential Crisis, Continued
We had YET ANOTHER “last first” day of school! Because my son and his… wife (that still seems so weird to say) are both getting masters degrees at Northwestern, and Northwestern starts so late, their first day was Wednesday. Or, their “last first” day, because after this year they will be DONE WITH SCHOOL. I asked my son to send me a photo to commemorate the occasion: Anyway… have I mentioned that I’m in a phase of continual existential crisis? My son’s wedding threw my life into turmoil, but I’ve calmed down from that. Now it’s my daughter’s senior year of high school, and a steady stream of “last” events that’s hitting me. I’ve always driven my kids to school, and as I was returning from the drop off this morning, I noticed the position of the sun. I always enjoy this season of early morning drives, noting how it’s darker later and later and looking forward happily to turning the clocks back… and then I realized that THIS IS THE LAST FALL I WILL BE DRIVING TO AND FROM SCHOOL. Wait. You mean this all ends? Somehow I thought this was just going to go on and on forever. I’m having trouble envisioning my life when things don’t revolve around my kids. Gretchen Rubin recently did a “Little Happier” podcast episode about the Empty Nest, or as she has reframed it, the “Open Door” season. She said “This massive change in our family life gives us an opportunity to understand ourselves better and steer a new course forward, which can be thrilling. We don’t have many opportunities to be shaken awake. Our children are growing up, and so are we.” Ooh! I’m going to be shaken awake. I’m scared! But also curious about what this next phase could look like. Meanwhile… Tonight was our homecoming game! Coming up tomorrow… the last homecoming dance. Ack! If your kids are grown and flown, was the transition to empty nest hard? If you have younger kids… can you imagine the time when they’ll be out of the house? Top photo by Brett Jordan on Unsplash