My family currently lives in the beautiful mountains of Park City. It is fall right now and the leaves on the trees are gorgeous. However the temperature is dropping, and we just had our first snowfall. Seeing the beautiful white snowflakes land on the vibrant tapestry of yellow and orange Aspen trees is quite something to see. It’s made me think about how I am going through so much change right now, just like the seasons.
As my children leave the nest and go out into the world, my life looks very different than it used to. It’s made me reflect on what type of mother I was and how I want to continue being an important part of my children’s lives, even though they don’t live under my roof. I’m lucky, I still have one at home, and want to spend the next two years with my youngest daughter soaking up as much as I can. I constantly think about if I’m being a good example for her, and if am I teaching her everything she needs to know for her future self. This time of year is such a reflective time. I’m not a big New Year’s Eve resolution person. Instead, I try to develop some new habits right about this time of year when my reflection mechanism kicks in.
One thing I’m working on is not abandoning myself ever again for someone that I don’t matter to. I’m a recovering people pleaser and it has cost me dearly. It’s my responsibility to fix that, I know, but why am I still working on this at 53? I feel like one season of my life is dying, just like the leaves on the trees. I am ready for the upcoming wintering season so I can hunker down, work on my book, finish my Empty Nest Course, and plant some beautiful new seeds that should blossom right around springtime when my book releases.
My goal is to impact one million Empty Nesters. I, too, am going through this process and I think it’s such a beautiful time to reflect on life and define your next chapter with courage, clarity, and intention. Some things in my life are falling apart and it’s hard, but I know that means good things are right around the corner. “Every storm runs out of rain” is one of my favorite songs by Matt Warren. It reminds me that the difficult times will run out of steam and the sun will rise again. It always does. Wherever you are in your Empty Nesting journey, I wish you peace and fulfillment. I wish you unbridled joy and happiness. And I wish you a ton of courage to go after what you want in this world.
Xoxo,
Karla
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