Empty nest syndrome

Being a mother involves conflicted emotions. 

It's exciting to bring a new life into the world, but the responsibility for this action can seem daunting, if not exhausting.


photo found on Google Images

You spend the first years teaching the baby to stand up, talk, and walk; and then you spend several years telling them to sit down and be quiet.

During those early chaotic, loud, crazy days you long for peace and quiet.  When you get the quiet you sometimes feel lonely, like something is missing.

But to do a good job at parenting means that you will work yourself out of a job eventually as you pass on the life lessons on how to be a responsible adult.

I thought I was through with all these feelings a long time ago since my son is over 40 now.  How that happened I have no idea.

But I had a similar wave of loss as I went past the tree to check on Waldo and his family only to find them gone.  No note, no forwarding address...just gone.

 

Of course I was pleased for them that they all survived and learned to fly away but inside I felt empty.  I had gotten so accustomed to watching them every day that it seemed as if they would always be there.

Surely they would hang around the same neighborhood when they learned to fly, wouldn't they?  But apparently not.  They seem to have left for greener pastures or fatter mice or something.

Just for clarification on Waldo, it seems that based on the size I had the gender wrong.  No, Waldo wasn't gender confused, but I was.  It seems that Waldo was probably a female.  But she'll still always be Waldo to me.

Long Live the Queen of Empty Nest Syndrome