The Busy and Slow Days of an Empty Nest

 As a recent empty nester, I’m having to find a balance between slow days and busy days. 

When you’re used to having kids at home with you 24/7 (especially as a homeschool mom), it’s kind of a shock when the days get quiet. But, the truth is, I need those quiet days too, because they allow me to slow down, create, think, dream, and care for my home and my own soul. 

I’ve never been good at relaxing. I like to have a project to conquer, I love meeting with friends, and I need to have a purpose for my day. Lingering over a good book or simply using an afternoon to create something, can feel almost like I’m doing something I shouldn’t be. 

But, busyness can become a crutch sometimes and we use it to avoid things, like loneliness or sorrow or boredom.  And, the reality is that some of the greatest songs or stories or pieces of art have been created out of the slower times, the darker times, the saddest times and to avoid those experiences, is to cheat ourselves out of some of the greatest lessons in life. 

Life is a balance of busy and slow and to embrace both with the same passion can be a good thing. Praying more on the slow days is feeding my soul right now. God is teaching me how to appreciate the quiet. And, the slower days are helping me navigate the days that I find myself going in all directions, because I know I can count on a slower pace at some point in the week. 

Everyone has an opinion about the empty nest season and though I’m still navigating my way through the first year, I’m learning to sit and appreciate the days and nights that move a little slower and feel a little too quiet.

There’s always tomorrow for noise, kids dropping by and friends calling.

But today…I’ll enjoy my own company and feed my soul a little longer.

Until Next Time…

Blessings!