.png)
About three years ago, when I was training to become a coach,
I used one of my first peer coaching sessions to come up with another way to think about the "empty nest." I knew it was coming and even hearing the words used to describe when your kids leave home left me feeling sad. I used the session to envision what I wanted our home to feel like, how I wanted to experience the transition, and what I wanted to call it.
I described a calm and serene space, not at all like what I was currently experiencing with my kids at home at the time. I longed for the peace and quiet I only imagined having. And I thought I might like it. Turns out I was right.
I also imagined a place where my kids were always welcome and if needed, a space for them to temporarily call home again if things didn't quite work out like they initially expected. I wanted an environment that included them and their childhoods but didn't feel like a shrine to days gone by. That idea was a good one, too.
I really wanted to be both excited about the futures my kids were choosing as well as the opportunities it would create for me as I had more time to focus on my own wants and needs (like making kale and quinoa salad and having no one complain)! I wanted to miss them only a little bit and welcome the new adventures for my husband and me. Turns out, this is happening as well.
I am grateful that I took the time to come up with my own way of making a "quiet nest." It actually doesn't feel very empty at all! I've got lots of fond memories and we are making new stories to share when everyone gets together again. And to think, a thirty-minute coaching session from over three years ago is still making ripples into my life in beneficial ways!
What do you want to reframe in your life? What new word or reworked phrase would help you name the life you want to create for yourself? Spend a few minutes and see what you come up with. You'll thank me in a few years 🙂 And if you want a conversation partner, you know who to call!