Reinventing Summer

Empty nesters are masters of reinventing. We reinvent various aspects of our lives all the time. We have to. When the last of our brood grows up and moves out to peruse their first real independence in the world either while attending the college of their choice or going directly into the work force, we are left, after the shock of the quiet wears off, finding ways to fill the empty hours. We have no choice other than to reinvent everything from our daily lives to those times of year that centered around family gatherings. Seasons are no exception. As a matter of fact, summer can be one of the toughest to reinvent.

Gone are the days of piling everyone into the car and driving the three miles to the beach every summer day. Gone are the days of hosting neighborhood, family cookouts and enjoying the kids running around chasing one another and fireflies. Gone are the days of the high pitched shrieks when the cold water of the sprinkler hits home. Gone are the lazy days of lounging around telling stories because it’s too hot to go outside. Gone are the days of playing charades when the power goes out during a summer thunderstorm. Gone are the days where every steamy summer second is chock-full of some sort of family fun related activity complete with excited childhood chatter, giggles and shrieks. 

What’s an empty nester to do? It is simple- we reinvent. We change our perspective. We readjust. And, slowly but surely, we begin to see what it can hold when we can enjoy summer without every single activity being child centered. And we realize, it’s not a bad thing at all.

My empty nest summers are now filled with redecorating, visiting and hosting guests, gardening and canning; photography; reading and writing; walking on the beach and, maybe most importantly, going where I want to go when I want to go. 

Sound boring? It's not. After raising four spectacular daughters, a slow pace is appreciated. So is the quiet. Besides, my summer days are filled with self-discoveries that lead to even more reinventing of summertime fun. Because, when your nest is empty, you have time. Time to learn, to explore and to do.

Summer still holds fun in an empty nest. It’s just different fun. Fun that you will come to treasure almost as much as those summers past. And there will be more times than you might think when the family will visit and surround you with all that summer time noise that will still bring such joy to your soul. If your nest is empty, embrace it. Go forth and reinvent your summer to be one to remember.