Sound familiar? Or is the anticipation of it making you sad? Your children are the center of your life. In spite of a job, a home, volunteer work, a social life, most of the decisions you make have factored in your kids in some way. All of a sudden you can’t remember all the annoying things they’ve done, the chores they didn’t do, and how much you worried. All you can see is how much you’ll miss them, that they are moving on to something new, and you really can’t go there with them. This is separation anxiety for parents! (Take a look at the poem by Kahlil Gibran, Your Children Are Not Your Children. It says it all.)
So what do you do now? Yes, you miss them. And yes, you’ll never stop worrying about them. It’s what parents do. But I promise you, there is life after they leave. It’s true: millions of people with adult children are still walking the earth, and some of them are even smiling! All joking aside, when you get back into your routines, it will ease. You can fill up the space with more of what you usually do OR you can take this time to explore. Some parents start to remember who they were and the dreams they had BK (Before Kids).
I want you to think about this idea –“take hold and let go”. Basically it means that in order to let go of someone or something (without falling to pieces), you need something to take hold of, to put in its place. If you have nothing to take hold of, you will struggle more with letting go and be miserable longer.
You have one day… okay, make it two days, to wallow and be sad. Then it’s time to move on. Why not make this transition exciting? What have you put on hold? What absolutely energizes you and has you jumping out of your chair when you think about it? Maybe it’s a business of your own, cooking classes, travel, feeding the hungry or saving the rain forest. This is what you take hold of.
Don’t worry about planning out every step. Planning is good, but you don’t want to get stuck in that phase. Take one step, and another. Build some momentum and some excitement. Don’t be left behind. Your kids aren’t the only ones with the opportunity to explore new worlds!
(And if you’d like some help, that’s what I’m here for. Send me a note at info@yourfamilymatterscoach.com. Let’s do a Discovery Session together.)
Two boys 21,23 still living at home, but hardly ever here. When they are here they are occupied by their own personal interest. My wife usually playing on her phone, or running the road. Seems like the family I enjoyed has disappeared. I suffer from depression, and this situation makes it worse.
These years are definitely a transition and can strain a marriage. The kids eventually move out (or live at home but are never around, like yours). When they are no longer the focus of conversation and decision-making, couples have to rediscover what it was that brought them together in the first place. Hopefully you are being treated for your depression and have a therapist or counselor to talk to. It also sounds like it’s time to explore new ways to talk about this with your wife. Feel free to email me if you’d like to discuss it further. fern@yourfamilymatterscoach.com