What do you do when your children leave home?

Canada
July 22, 2007 8:32pm CST
I had my first child at the age of 20, I am now 44. I've been a mother for more then half my life and for the majority of that (19 years) I have been a single mother, raising 2 children by myself. I put my life on hold to make sure my daughters always knew they were my one and only thoughts and concerns in life. There's been no permanent man in my life simply because I didn't want men coming and going in their lives at all. I wanted them to realize they had one mother and one father. Altho he didn't play a big part in their lives, he was always still in the background on occasion until he passed away a few years, so it's been just me, mom. Friends have come and gone but my truly best friends have been my daughters. As they were growing up I let them make all the mistakes they wanted, some they've learned from, some they haven't, I've let them have a say in everything in our household, I listened to them and they to me. And yes, we've made mistakes along the way, not only them but me as well but we've always been there for each other thru everything. To laugh together, love each other, fight with each other, good times, bad times, the accomplishments, the disasters, to support each other and even tell each other when we've done some rather dumb things. Now I know life changes and change isn't always a bad thing. I know our children grow up and have families of their own, make lives of their own and move on and the best we can hope for is that we've done an alright job raising them to be responsible adults and wonderful parents themselves. This is my head talking! My heart, however, has a different song to sing. What does a parent do when there's nothing or no one left to do for? What does a parent do when a piece of their heart walks out the door along with their first born or their baby? How do you fill that empty feeling left in the pit of your stomach when you realize you are now alone? How do you fill the holes in your heart??
1 response
@mamasan34 (6518)
• United States
23 Jul 07
Many people do many things when their children leave the nest. I plan to go back to college and finish my degree or take some technical training of some sort. My duaghter is 13 and I am already thinking on that. I don't want to be alone and aching because she left me alone. I have a husband but he is in the military and won't be retiring any time soon, so I have to fill the void somehow! Have you thought of volunteering with some childrens organization or something to taht effect? It is fulfilling and helps ease the transition. I do some volunteering and it always does my heart good.
• Canada
23 Jul 07
Thanks for the reply mamasan, I already have full time job. And personally, taking care of someone else's child will never be able to replace the emptiness of my own growing up. I use to tease my kids all the time growing up that for their 18 birthday they get 2 things from me, a set of luggage and a one way ticket to wherever they want to go, that was not some thing I could have ever followed thru on.