This week, our family went to the theater to see Wicked for Good, and somewhere between the emerald lights and Elphaba’s soaring notes, I felt something stir—that familiar mix of awe, longing, and possibility. Watching her navigate fear, challenge, chaos, and finally her own becoming reminded me so much of this Empty Nest journey. After years of pouring ourselves into everyone else, we’re learning —just like she did—to listen to our own truth, to stretch into the woman we are becoming in this new phase of life, and to let ourselves rise. There’s something magical about that, especially during the holidays, when our kids start returning home and we’re quietly returning home to ourselves too.
The holidays are here, which means for many of us our college (and older) kids are coming back through the front door. Suitcases, piles of laundry, snack requests, late night laugh out loud sessions with siblings—suddenly the quiet house you’ve gotten used to reverts back to a vibrant, familiar, chaotic nest. Currently, two of my three daughters are still in college studying animation at Savannah College of Art and Design. Art colleges are known for long breaks so ours will be home for a whopping nine weeks! I feel very lucky and grateful to have all three of my kids under my roof for the next month and a half.
But here’s the thing I’ve been reminding myself, and maybe this will resonate with you too: Our kids aren’t coming home as the same people who left.
Just like we once marched out into the world, gathered our experiences, and returned a little different—so are they. They’ve stretched. They’ve stumbled. They’ve made new friends, formed opinions, learned what they love—and what they don’t. They’ve gotten more independent. More confident. More themselves. What a gift it is to welcome home these new, unfolding versions of our children and simply love who they’re becoming. I get so inspired by my kids and watching them blossom. I believe it’s one of life’s greatest blessings and a reward for a job well done.
However, this season in life isn’t just about their growth and return home. It’s about us, too. Because while they’ve been off growing and learning… so have we.
Over the past few years, I’ve watched countless women—clients, readers, friends, myself included—step into a part of themselves they didn’t even realize they had lost. Women who are no longer apologizing for needing space. Women who are rediscovering their creativity, their voice, and their boundaries. Some of this growth can be hard, messy, and long overdue. But so necessary. I want to say to everyone at this stage of life who is welcoming in this version of yourself: I am proud of you and I am cheering you on. Keep stepping into your power even if it’s hard and have the courage to rediscover those pieces of you that might have been buried deep inside for a long time.
This month, I’m holding tight to a concept I talk about in chapter 12 of my book, The Almost Empty Nester…Your Inner Critic vs. Your Inner Compass.
Empty Nesting is all about diving deeper into the passions we love and trying new things. And when we do this, our brains can get scared of the changes we are making and will begin an internal assault on our efforts. That’s your inner critic speaking to you. It can be ruthless and relentless. The inner critic represents a collection of thoughts and beliefs that are deeply ingrained within you, originating from your past experiences and external influences. Its role is to protect you from potential threats and maintain the status quo by discouraging change despite your best efforts. I’ve given a name to my inner critic. Want to know what it is? It’s a very unique and endearing name that describes my negative inner voice perfectly. I call mine the Itty Bitty Shitty Committee☺ lol. Unfortunately, my inner critic is not just one internal voice trying to make me play small and run from great opportunities. It’s an entire team of loud, obnoxious characters, trying to get me to constantly live in fear and self-doubt, instead of trusting my gut and stepping up with courage. Sound familiar? Our limiting beliefs are housed within our inner critic and can often whisper things like, “You’re too old” or “It’s too late” or “Who do you think you are to want that?” But this is the time in our lives to step into the arena anyway, with courage and curiosity, and ask, “What else is possible for me, and what do I want?” Trust the answers you receive. That is your Inner Compass speaking, and she deserves a front row seat in your life.
Let’s talk a little bit more about that. You have carried your inner compass within you from day one. It’s your internal “knowing”. It’s always guiding you even when you aren’t listening. It’s the life force that has helped you make decisions, define your values and aspirations, and is constantly whispering to you reminding you of your purpose and who you are authentically. But life gets busy and oftentimes we turn down the volume of our inner compass, and that’s when the volume of the inner critic goes up. Now more than ever, as you navigate this stage of life, it is crucial to reconnect with your inner compass. The more aligned we can stay with our values and goals, the more outward alignment we attract. The more we honor our personal truth, the more our lives begin to click into place. Even if the change is slow. Even if the change is tender and painful. Even if the change comes in baby steps.
This December, as your children come home to you, I hope you feel yourself coming home too—back to the woman you were, the woman you are, and the woman you are courageously becoming. The Empty Nest season is one of the most sacred invitations life gives us. For many years our energy has been focused outward, and then suddenly almost overnight, our home gets quieter. In this quiet, something miraculous begins to happen. We finally start to connect with our Soul Whispers again—our wishes, our dreams, our truth. This chapter isn’t about an ending; It’s a profound homecoming, an awakening of sorts.
It’s a moment in time we get to revisit dreams and passions that patiently waited while we poured so much of our hearts into those around us. We begin to recognize who we are now after all we’ve lived through and spend time investing in who we are becoming. We are wiser, more aware of what’s working and what’s not, and can dream bigger, reach higher, and step into the version of ourselves we knew was yearning to bloom. For me, that means stepping back into a fuller, more vibrant version of myself— wife, daughter, friend, author, coach, empty-nester guide, curious mid-lifer, and more.
What does that look like for you if you started dreaming bigger, reaching higher, and stepping into the version of yourself you’ve always wanted to nurture? What goals and aspirations do you have at this stage of your life? Do you need help defining a path on how to achieve them? I know I sure did, and that’s why I wrote my book and companion journal, developed my course, and created this community. I’m so glad you’re here reading this right now, no matter what is going on in your life. You deserve to shine. You deserve the best and I am rooting for you.
Navigating this season can be hard at first, but it’s so worth the effort. When we lead with curiosity, have courage to show up differently, and try new things, our children learn from us and will follow in our footsteps. We are still their mothers when they are out of the house, and what we model for them matters. As I stand in this new rhythm, I’m not clinging to old routines or ways of being. I’m grounded in the work I’ve done and in the freedom that comes when you design your next chapter with intention, honesty, creativity, and a roadmap, and I want to show you how to do that too.
If you do have children returning home for the holidays, I wish you an overflow of laughter, love and connection. It’s such a magical time of year. And here’s to our season of curiosity, courage, and returning to ourselves. Let’s nurture that as we move into 2026, and start to create a little bit of our own magic in our Empty Nest.
“It’s time for both of us to fly” – Elphaba, Wicked for Good.
P.S. 2026 is right around the corner, and if you’re starting to think about creating something new, exciting, and beautiful for your life, I have something I want to share with you. I’m so excited to announce the launch of our transformational “Best Empty Nest” Course— a 10-week community centered journey for moms just like you who want to embrace the next season with intention, clarity, and generous self-care. My team and I have learned through our 7 Virtual book clubs that 4 weeks wasn’t enough for our readers to create the outcomes they so deeply wanted for themeselves. So we created a hands-on, 10-week course that will get you that clarity and transformation you are looking for.
- If you’ve ever feared that “letting go” means losing a part of you, this is for you.
- If you’ve wondered how to rebuild a rhythm that honors both your child’s independence and your own evolving identity, this is for you.
- If you’ve wanted to pour energy into your passions while staying the mom who shows up with warmth, steadiness, and a dash of magic, this is for you.
- If you’re feeling both the ache of letting go and the thrill of discovering your own unique identity, you’re not alone—and you’re exactly where you’re meant to be.
- If you’re an Empty-Nester mom who wants to design a life you’ve been dreaming of, I can’t wait to meet you.
I have built this roadmap for you in hopes to make this one of your best chapters in your life. If my story is resonating and you’re ready to design your own thriving Empty Nest, I’d love to invite you to join something special.
JOIN THE WAITLIST
There are only 50 spots for our end of January course, and I’m offering a sizable discount to my community. We are currently over 1000 strong, and I thank you for your support from the beginning. It means a lot and I want to return the favor. Note: I picked the end of January instead of January first, because as research suggests, oftentimes New Years goals are abandoned just three weeks after they are started, and people feel ashamed when they don’t finish what they set out to do. I wanted different energy to go into your experience with this course, not all or nothing energy. This course is a process and will require a lot of work, self-reflection and goal setting, but it will be so worth it!
Join the waitlist here for our design your Best Empty Nest: a 10-week transformational course for moms ready to redefine their next chapter.
Why join the waitlist now?
- Be the first to know when enrollment opens and secure one of the limited spots.
- Access early-bird pricing and a warm, supportive community of like-minded moms.
- Reserve your own autographed book and companion journal to be sent once enrollment in the course is confirmed. (for US & Canada only. Additional shipping costs apply for international members.)
How to join: Visit our course page and register today! It’s a simple, one-step action that puts you on a path to reflect on the past, assess where you are in the present, and define what you want for your future. In our course we talk a lot about what to do, but the magic is in the how.
I hope to see you over in the community. Thank you for walking this walk with me. It takes a village. I can’t wait to see the ways you’ll show up when you design your “Best Empty Nest.”
If you’d like to share this with a friend who could use a hopeful, practical path into empty-nest living, feel free to forward this post or share the waitlist link. The more of us who step into our next chapters together, the brighter the journey becomes. Let’s do this! See you soon.
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