It’s the natural way of things: our children grow up and want to live their own lives. They leave our home and move to a different street, neighborhood, city, or even country. There can be various reasons for this — studies, work, marriage, or simply independence.
Before we know it, we parents realize that our family, which has been together for so many years, is getting smaller. Our house, which used to be full of people and activity, is quieter. Our nest is emptying out!
Psychology says that the feeling of sadness which often affects parents when their children leave their home to follow their own path is completely natural. However, that period of sadness should be brief, and should not be confused with depression, which needs to be dealt with in a different way.
My wife and I recently went through this very experience. Our oldest daughter moved out of the city to go to college. Her dream is to study medicine, and so she moved away to take a course to prepare herself for the college entrance exams.
This moment changed our lives. After 18 years of marriage, it was our turn to start letting our kids go: the first of our two daughters began to live far away from our protection. It’s been a huge change. We felt great nostalgia. Our sadness at not being able to hug and kiss her has been eased by our regular video chats, but it’s still not the same. Our concern for her health and well-being has become even greater, and our family budget is tighter because costs are higher when one of your children is living in another city. At the same time, we can’t give any less attention to our younger daughter, who still lives with us.
It was a phase full of anxiety, insecurity, and fear. However, it was also a time when we grew in our faith. With our daughter living far from our protection, we have to trust that God, Our Lady, and the angels will always be at her side. For us, it’s time to be witnesses to our faith, and for her, it’s time to put into practice what she learned at home.
So, we’ve intensified our prayers, asking that she be always under God’s protection and that she achieve her goals. The certainty that God’s love for his children is infinite guides and comforts us as we prepare for the departure of our second daughter.
This always brings comfort to our hearts: our daughters are growing up, and setting out on their own to achieve their own goals and dreams. This is a sign that we planted good seeds, and now we can see them start to bear fruit. God has helped us through our life changes, and we know He’s keeping an eye on us, as well as our children — we let go, and we let God.
Read more:
The unexpected effects of empty nest syndrome
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