Lisa, thank you for sharing such a vulnerable experience. Your essay made me see my own story from a different perspective, the perspective of my mom. We also lost my dad when I was three. Your words helped me see a side of that story I hadn’t considered before.
Thank you so much for sharing that. I'm sorry you lost your dad so young.
One of the unexpected things about writing that piece was realising that empty nesting wasn't just about my children growing up and moving on. It was also tied up with all those years of being a widowed mum, when the three of us became such a close little team.
It means a great deal to know that it helped you see your own story from a different perspective. I think that's one of the lovely things about sharing our experiences. Sometimes they shine a light on parts of someone else's story too.
Beautiful. Thank you for sharing. I can’t let myself think about when all my children are out of the house… I get too emotional about it! But you’re so right, there’s joy in every season- we just have to find it!
Thank you. I completely understand because I felt exactly the same way. For years I couldn’t imagine the house without my children in it and honestly, there were moments when it felt almost unbearable to think about.
What surprised me was that the sadness and the joy arrived together. I still miss having them here every day, but I’ve also discovered new freedoms, new routines and parts of myself that had been waiting their turn.
If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that you don’t have to rush ahead and embrace the next season before you’re ready. The season you’re in now is precious too. Enjoy every noisy, messy, chaotic minute of it.
Lisa, the line that stayed with me was, "the little three-person team that had carried me through widowhood, childhood, adolescence and everything in between had finally dispersed." That captures something unique about your experience because the empty nest was not simply a parenting transition; it marked the closing of a chapter forged through shared resilience and mutual dependence. I also appreciated your observation that empty nesting is not about losing your children but discovering what comes next for yourself. Thank you for writing so honestly about the grief and the gift that can coexist when a season ends and another begins.
Thank you. I think that’s exactly why it felt so much bigger than simply the children growing up and leaving home. For years it really was the three of us against the world. We weren’t just a family unit, we were a team. When they left, I wasn’t losing them, but I was saying goodbye to a version of us that had carried me through some of the most difficult and meaningful years of my life.
What surprised me was realising that grief and excitement can sit side by side. I missed that chapter deeply, while also beginning to feel curious about who I might be beyond motherhood. Thank you for reading it so thoughtfully and understanding that distinction.
Lisa, I think your distinction between losing your children and saying goodbye to a version of your family is such an important one. Every meaningful season shapes us, and when that season ends, part of the grief comes from recognizing that we cannot return to who we were within it. I also appreciate your observation that grief and excitement can coexist because so many transitions ask us to honor what has been while remaining open to what is still becoming. Thank you for sharing that journey with such honesty; I suspect many people navigating similar changes will recognize themselves in your words.
I love this 💕
Thank you ❤️
Lisa, thank you for sharing such a vulnerable experience. Your essay made me see my own story from a different perspective, the perspective of my mom. We also lost my dad when I was three. Your words helped me see a side of that story I hadn’t considered before.
Thank you so much for sharing that. I'm sorry you lost your dad so young.
One of the unexpected things about writing that piece was realising that empty nesting wasn't just about my children growing up and moving on. It was also tied up with all those years of being a widowed mum, when the three of us became such a close little team.
It means a great deal to know that it helped you see your own story from a different perspective. I think that's one of the lovely things about sharing our experiences. Sometimes they shine a light on parts of someone else's story too.
Beautiful. Thank you for sharing. I can’t let myself think about when all my children are out of the house… I get too emotional about it! But you’re so right, there’s joy in every season- we just have to find it!
Thank you. I completely understand because I felt exactly the same way. For years I couldn’t imagine the house without my children in it and honestly, there were moments when it felt almost unbearable to think about.
What surprised me was that the sadness and the joy arrived together. I still miss having them here every day, but I’ve also discovered new freedoms, new routines and parts of myself that had been waiting their turn.
If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that you don’t have to rush ahead and embrace the next season before you’re ready. The season you’re in now is precious too. Enjoy every noisy, messy, chaotic minute of it.
Lisa, the line that stayed with me was, "the little three-person team that had carried me through widowhood, childhood, adolescence and everything in between had finally dispersed." That captures something unique about your experience because the empty nest was not simply a parenting transition; it marked the closing of a chapter forged through shared resilience and mutual dependence. I also appreciated your observation that empty nesting is not about losing your children but discovering what comes next for yourself. Thank you for writing so honestly about the grief and the gift that can coexist when a season ends and another begins.
Thank you. I think that’s exactly why it felt so much bigger than simply the children growing up and leaving home. For years it really was the three of us against the world. We weren’t just a family unit, we were a team. When they left, I wasn’t losing them, but I was saying goodbye to a version of us that had carried me through some of the most difficult and meaningful years of my life.
What surprised me was realising that grief and excitement can sit side by side. I missed that chapter deeply, while also beginning to feel curious about who I might be beyond motherhood. Thank you for reading it so thoughtfully and understanding that distinction.
Lisa, I think your distinction between losing your children and saying goodbye to a version of your family is such an important one. Every meaningful season shapes us, and when that season ends, part of the grief comes from recognizing that we cannot return to who we were within it. I also appreciate your observation that grief and excitement can coexist because so many transitions ask us to honor what has been while remaining open to what is still becoming. Thank you for sharing that journey with such honesty; I suspect many people navigating similar changes will recognize themselves in your words.
I absolutely love this but my eyes are leaking
Xx
Bless you 🙏🏻