Carolyn, I remember our little birds flew the coop and came back repeatedly till they were about 26.

For the first time in my life, I feel free. My children are dependent my mother who died just a few weeks ago , has found her piece. Now for the first time Hubby and I can be spontanious, think only what do we want to do, without taking consideration on other family members. I miss my mother terribly, but this feeling of freedom is a new liberating feeling that I am beginning to love.

God knows you did all you could while your mother was alive and NOW that she is in God's hands, it's your turn to fly the nest and have a ball!!!

Edelweiss, I am so excited for you that you are starting to love the liberation you are experiencing. You certainly have earned it!

I'm new here (as of today), but I can say from the viewpoint of someone who's been through many stages of children leaving home after high school, returning home for awhile, leaving, etc. that God gives us so much to enjoy in every stage of our life.

I hope you and your husband do find that effervescence in your relationship that is meant to be there--especially when it's back to only being two again. Lots of fun times ahead.

I have struggled with the "empty nest syndrome".

Before I got divorced, I couldn't wait for my little chicks to fly the coup and have my life with my husband.

But because of my divorce, I felt like the "coup" emptied too quickly and not in the timing/way that I had thought it would.

Even my daughter moving out of Denver with my precious grand baby recently has been hard for me...

So, I'm finally at a place where I see the empty nest as a time for....me me me! Wow, imagine that...after 22 years of being a wife and mother..its now all about me and what I want and need.

I still grieve my children (as crazy as that might seem). I try not to worry about them. I'm a mom through and through...

and I'm going forward with EXTREME joy with the expectation of HUGE blessings!

Danita

Wow, so much has happened. So many ways to feel that freedom from 20-somethings and our parents. Somehow we have to figure out a way to feel free even while in the midst of taking care of everyone. I'm trying to figure that out as we've had our 23 year old daughter move home, and as we continue to pitch in with caring for/visiting our dads, and it ain't easy.

I've learned that we can't wait for peaceful situations to surround us. We have to create the peaceful feeling within so we can be in the midst of chaos, but still feel peaceful. Not always an easy task.

Great to "see" you here again, Dotsie! Hope you had a wonderful Christmas/holiday season.

I've probably mentioned before that our son moved home for a few months shortly after we moved to Galena. He had taken an internship at a newspaper in Dubuque, IA right after he graduated, and when the internship ended, they asked him to stay on "for a few months" while they searched for and hired a new photographer, but he was no longer eligible for their "intern apartment."

He didn't want to rent some place with a lease, as he had no idea how long they would keep him - and he didn't like Dubuque well enough to want to apply for the opening, so he knew this was very short-term...

Fortunately for us all, Galena is an easy commute from Dubuque - it's less than 20 miles - so he moved in with us and stayed in our spare bedroom for a couple of months...

It WAS hard at first for all of us to get used to living together again, after all, he had been living on his own for 5 years by that time. But it was also a wonderful time.

So my impression is that as long as you set appropriate ground rules, and the kids agree to do some work around the house in order to earn their keep, "boomerangs" are a good experience.

I am quite interested in the stories I am reading now about Boomers moving in with their kids... Anyone have any friends or acquaintances who have done that?

I had my DIL with me for several weeks while they were doing something in her condo regarding gas or fittings or something serious. She was a delight and we had a lot of fun together but to be honest I was happy to have my space back and she was happy to get back into hers.

At church we were talking and many seniors there say there kids are coming back home as they have lost jobs and unemployment is running out. That has to be such an ordeal for everyone.

I know what you mean. And the way the economy is going, don't ya
bet there will be a lot of these type situations. Wouldn't it
be nice, if elected officials would figure out how to turn the
Nation's financial mess around and make the hard times disappear!