Focusing on our Full Nest
Y’all, this season has been hard! I know I’ve said it a bunch of times before but it’s true. Having your nest begin to empty comes with all the feels!
I find myself deep in thought and reflection as we prepare to send our younger son off to begin his first year of college away from home tomorrow. Like our older son, he went to community college for 3 years and lived at home. We are blessed by the “extra” years we’ve had with him in our nest. I can appreciate those blessing years but they don’t make the goodbye any easier. His bed will be empty and there will be one less plate on the table. It’s those thoughts that hit me right in the heart. If I stay in those thoughts, I come undone. I don’t want to allow the sorrow of tomorrow distract me from the joy of today. As I prepare to take our second born to college I am choosing to look at things from a different perspective. I am choosing to stay right here in THIS moment. The one right in front of me. Not allowing my mind to wonder to all those thoughts of empty. I am choosing to be FULL. Full of the happiness, pride and excitement I have for him as he embarks on this next chapter of his story. Will it be without sadness and tears for this momma who is going to miss him terribly? No. I will feel the feels and cry the tears. For the first time, I’ve really begun to ponder this whole concept of empty nest. I’ve come to the realization that although seasons have changed with my boys and they have begun to live their lives as adults, our nest is far from empty!!!! Our nest is FULL of love, blessings and memories! Our nest still has my hubby and I! Our nest will one day hopefully include daughters in loves and grand babies! So rather than focus on our nest emptying, I am choosing to focus on the fullness in our nest. I am looking forward to the days when our nest will overflow with our future family members! For you moms who are in the thick of raising your babies, the best advice I can give is to love your husband. Make time for him. Spend time with him. Appreciate him. Love him. Find things that you enjoy doing together away from the kiddos. It’s not easy but it’s possible if you make it a priority. In what feels like the blink of an eye, the plates will begin to disappear from your table, and the kids from their rooms (I know that was a gut punch) but your nest will not be empty. It will be full! Full of love, full of memories, and full of anticipation and hope of all that is still yet to come!
xoxo
Shine bright,
Teresa