I know most people think empty-nest syndrome begins when your last child leaves home. That is what I thought too. But looking back, I know it started much earlier. For me it started when my daughter transitioned from one of the little kids to one of the big kids–a ‘tween. Suddenly she was seven and eight, and where did all that time go? This was the first part of letting go and letting her grow, still a mommy but now there were sleepovers and camp, things she did without me. Yes, a 4-H camp when she actually said, “Good-bye, mom. Go home.” Mark said that is when the umbilical cord was severed.
The writing was on the wall, and my baby was growing up. We homeschooled, and the next step was her wanting to go to public school. I thought I was such a failure. but no, I had actually raised her to be strong enough to state her point of view, not just to be quiet and follow mindlessly. It was still hard. Most of you have had that “first day of school” experience when your kids went off to kindergarten, mine came when my daughter entered 7th grade–and it was still very hard. The house was empty. Surely there must be more to life than being at home. I became a medical transcriptionist to help fill that void.
I loved being a transcriptionist, but outsourcing has hit our small town, and a lot of doctors are sending their dictation out to be transcribed–gotta save that two cents a line. The upside I guess, is that I don’t feel bad about going someplace else (less expensive) for my medical care. I laugh when I see all the “buy local” things around town. Our town is an expensive town, and they ship out the work, the money, yet want everyone to buy local. Oh dear, I have gone off on a tangent so it is time to stop for the day.
Thanks for dropping by,
me
