Getting over the 'Empty Nest Syndrome'

latetoschool
Sun, 26 Aug 2007 19:38:08 +0000

Floating, I am such a person. That was five years ago and my daughter has since graduated, but, I can tell you that being single is very liberating. I immediately began traveling extensively for my business, and working in ways that I could not work before, because I needed to be home to be a parent. I also did a remodeling project, began competing heavily in a sport, and started dating. I have been very, very happy, and my business is thriving. I have quadrupled my income in five years and will be close to gross annual pay of seven figures by 2009 at this rate of growth.

I missed her so much, I cried for five straight hours on the drive home from freshman drop-off - cried so much I had to pull off the interstate to get Tylenol to clear the headache, so I could finish the drive home. As I gulped the pills in the convenience store parking lot, I decided I would do that exactly once, and then no more.

The key is to get busy, immediately, doing all of those things that you have been unable to do for the past 18 years. You will get used to - and thrive on - your newfound freedom very quickly.

My daughter and I are also very close, and my sense is that my personal growth has been key to keeping the relationship at the same level of closeness. I don’t have any formal statics or authorities to quote but my sense that if one person goes away, and learns, grows, matures, develops etc., but the other person just sits home and does the same old thing, and does not also grow and change, the relationship may begin to deteriorate.