Empty Nester

I am 33 years old and I completely get empty nesters.  I understand the grief they are going through. I hear people say "I'm going to be so excited when my kids leave the house,  I'll be able to do XYZ." That is true.  You can.  I am experiencing it.  I can sleep late or eat what I want or go out with friends or make plans that don't involve me checking 3 other people's schedules.

But then there are days when all you long for are the tiny voices yelling out "Mom!" down the hall. Or the TV blaring television shows that you wouldn't watch by choice but get sucked into and even enjoy.  Even the ever asked question of "What is for dinner?" which I usually dread because frankly, I rarely know what 's for dinner.

My children are 8 and 10 and 14.....and they have a life that is not mine.  They have people that they interact with daily whom I have never met. They have experiences that I am not invited to experience with them. They have new traditions that I don't know about. 

It's been almost 3 years since I stopped living with my children all day everyday. You would think that after almost 3 years I would be used to not seeing them for 7 days.  

I'm not.