Rhyme and Reason from my Empty Nest

                                                                                                                                      Have you ever thought of your Empty Nest as your Declaration of Independence? When you do, you'll find it fitting and true!  Our country's declaration was a unanimous decision by the 56 signers. We strive for unanimity in our homes as well. Our states and our children are "endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights." All should have the freedom to "pursue Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." All best done without our judgement or unrequested feedback. Our role in our children's lives caused us s...

                                                                                   A good father may be hard to find. Did you have one? I didn't especially but I live with one now. Hope you do too.  A great father...think of the potential...the influence that goes on and on for many generations to come.  A Few Good Men on Father's Day - an endangered species - so all the more to be treasured. So much rests on their broad shoulders. The sad truth is they are not usually aware of their full impact. Society doesn't tell them so. Social media doesn't tell them so. TV shows depict the man of the house as the dunce of the house. Dads are the brunt of jokes in far too many scenarios. We have stooped low. We stoop no more! We don't call the dad of our house "brainless" as sitcom...

                                                                            Your day is coming. My day is coming. Not so fast. Have you ever considered Mother's Day shouldn't be our day after all? I know. We're mothers. We're accustomed to being celebrated on Mother's Day.  We get our way at least one day of the year. Consider not this year. This year could bring a new perspective. It could bring a change of heart by opening up our heart. We have the opportunity to graciously give over our expectations and our traditions....as a gift back to those children of ours.   We have had many a Mother's Days. We have been celebrated as the "belle of the ball."  Now it's time to be more the "butler at the ball." We still have a significant role to play but not necessarily the leading role....

                                                                                                                                                 This statement applies to all of us......except my husband who was born on April Fool's Day. It's ok to call him a fool on his birthday but just be aware he's a wise one at that!  For him and all the rest of us.....You can find the best in us! You see we've weathered many a storm.  We've climbed many a mountain.  We've swam many a turbulent sea. We've done all this and made it safely to the other side.   There have been some hiccups, catchups, pickups, and makeu...

The Oxford Dictionary defines peace as "freedom from disturbance; tranquility." Quiet is defined as "little or no noise." Hopefully these words and their meanings conjure up positive thoughts for you.  I'm guessing they used to. Peace & quiet was something you dreamed for one day.  You couldn't begin to comprehend what was way out of your immediate reach.  Now peace & quiet are well within your grasp. Why do we wish for the gift of peace & quiet for so long and then not fully appreciate its giftedness once it finally arrives? I'm asking myself the same question.  We all welcome peace. Quiet, not so much.  Maybe it's because quiet can be glaringly loud.  The absence of noises we are used to with the previous hustle and bustle can be deafening in our new-found silence.    That peace that comes along side of perpetual quiet should be relished. It should be celebrated. We have earned the blessed calm found in the peace and in the quiet....

                               Tina Turner is a shining example to all of us.  She performed her last set of live concerts at the age of 69...still strutting her stuff! Let our motto be: Keep strutting while we still have stuff to strut! Now that I mention Tina's song in my title, you may not be able to get the tune out of your head. Let's hum along and discuss what love really does have to do with it. We Empty Nesters have seen much love come and go throughout our lifetime.  We witness love inhabiting various forms as we travel through the years. Our sex-crazed society and lust-filled media don't point us to the godliest of destinations in our pursuit of real love. Most regard love as an adjective.  It is a way we want to feel.  It is our lover's job to ignite that feeling in us each and every day.  That's a tough task and a big ask. It is not practical as we seasoned sorts have com...

                                                                      🎉 CONGRATULATIONS!    You made it! You weren't sure you'd survive until 2023, but look at you now! 👊 Give yourself a fist bump or a pat on the back. Go ahead. You deserve it. I'll wait.   It has been no small feat to get to this point.  We've survived much. We raised many. Now...by golly....it's our turn.  It's our time to shine even if we're a bit past our prime.  You do know that middle-age is now occurring later and later. I proclaim it's just a hop skip and a jump past where we are right now. Do I get an Amen? So...what does that mean? It means we still have time before we're all grown up! What did you dream to be as you were a young child?  Where did you see YOU in YOUR perfect world? What would it t...