Happy Summer!
For all of you Almost Empty Nesters or Empty Nesters, I hope you are enjoying time with your kids if they are home from school before they leave again in the fall. Ahhh, the bittersweetness of parenting. We just returned from a beautiful family reunion in Seaside, Oregon where we reunited with the grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins on my husband’s side of the family. We hadn’t been there in eight years! It was so fun to relive those memories and compare photos of the cousins from childhood versus today. They have grown up so much. It was a wonderful family weekend filled with laughter, bonfires, fresh sea air, go carts, and of course elephant ears, our favorite vacation treat.
As I am inching closer to becoming an Empty Nester, I am so grateful to have a strong family foundation to lean on. It was a very nostalgic time for me as I walked on the beach reflecting on how my children have grown up knowing their cousins since birth. I never had that, and I know I’m not alone. It filled my heart watching everyone hang out together and share memories from past trips. A special vacation indeed.
As I was walking along the beach, another important group of people came to mind. My small and mighty tribe of girlfriends. These friendships mean the world to me, and I cherish them for the love, encouragement, and support we have given each other over the years. Female friendships are not just a source of companionship; they are essential for maintaining emotional well-being and overall health. I’m not sure how I would go through life without them. Research has shown that strong social connections can reduce feelings of loneliness, lower stress levels, and even boost longevity. Ain’t that the truth! And sometimes we can go long stretches of time without talking to each other, but still know we’ve got each other’s back. Always. It reminds me of one of my favorite quotes,
“Good friends are like stars. You don’t always see them, but you know they’re always there.”
– Unknown
As you begin to navigate the Empty Nesting years, leaning into your friendship pods can provide a sense of belonging and purpose, and help you combat feelings of isolation and loss. It also can be a great way to meet new people! Asking a dear friend to introduce you to some of her friends can quickly help you make some new connections.
Female friendships also offer a space for personal growth and exploration. By surrounding yourself with supportive friends who encourage you to step out of your comfort zone, who knows what could happen. Maybe you’ll be skydiving next week or taking an Italian cooking class halfway around the world. Girl friends are soooo good at getting us to try out new, fun adventures. A few of my girlfriends and I recently spent a wonderful afternoon down on the river with two guides teaching us how to fly fish. It felt so good to be out in nature, laughing together, and learning a new skill (our guides were hilarious btw). Challenge yourself to try a few new things, embark on new discoveries, and embrace your next chapter of life with enthusiasm, courage, and curiosity.
One powerful way we are helping to foster new connections and support among women over here at the Empty Nester Club is by providing a pre-launch virtual book club. Starting August 21st, my Pre-Launch Book Club Members will embark on an incredible 4-week journey. I personally will be taking 10 members through a deep dive immersive program that covers all twenty-one chapters of my book. Together, we will read the book, work through the Reflection Exercises, share our discoveries, identify what we want more of for our future, design an actionable game plan for achieving it, and apply my coaching framework to help design your next, best chapter! Join me on this transformative journey to unlock your full mid-life potential.
If you would like to join our Pre-Launch Book Club, please sign up here! I will then send you a form to fill out so we can learn a little bit more about you before we get started!
As we wrap up the first half of summer, I hope everyone has had more than their share of good food, giggles, and great times with friends and family. Enjoy these summer days because they go by so quickly. Before we know it, our kids will be packing their bags and headed off on their own adventure (sniff sniff), but you will be more prepared for that phase when you join our community. I’m so excited you found us, and I can’t wait to see what you create for your next best!
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