Janice Thompson - The House is Quiet, Now What?: Rediscovering Life & Adventure as an Empty Nester

Chapter 1:
Y OU A RE N OT A LONE

Chapter 2:
R EDEFINING AND R EDISCOVERING

Chapter 3:
D ELIBERATE D OWNSIZING

Chapter 4:
D EALING WITH THE B IG D (D EPRESSION)

Chapter 5:
F REE T IME A GIFT FROM G OD

Chapter 6:
W HEN THE N EST R EFILLS

Chapter 7:
T HE S ANDWICH G ENERATION

Chapter 8:
A B ALANCING A CT

Chapter 9:
B UILDING Y OUR N EST IN H IS C OURTS

The words of this book are bathed in prayer and were written with you in mind. They are divided into nine chapters, each specifically dealing with a particular subject empty-nest mothers face. Each chapter is divided into five sections:

• Bye-bye, Birdie: A section for the reader to take a look at the particular issue being addressed and acknowledge it for what it is in her life.
• Flight Patterns: A section filled with third-person stories of women just like you, who made it through the empty-nest season and came out victors on the other side.
• Spreading Your Wings: A section for the reader to erase any negative attitudes or feelings shes struggling with regarding that issue.
• Liftoff!: A section loaded with biblically based advice to help women overcome that particular issue.
• Smooth Sailing: Final words of encouragement to point the reader toward the One with the answers. Let the adventure begin!

We pray that you are able to read through this book with a happy heart, ready for a great adventure ahead. May your journey be all you dreamed and more!

The greatest gifts you can give your children are the roots of responsibility and the wings of independence.

D ENIS W AITLEY

A child enters your home and for the next twenty years makes so much noise you can hardly stand it. The child departs, leaving the house so silent you think you are going mad.
J OHN A NDREW H OLMES

Ah, the empty-nest mom! She is the ultimate picture of contradiction. For years she pushed, she prodded, she worked around the clock to mold and shape her little darlings into real people people she could be proud of. Then, just about the time she had them looking, acting, and smelling like adults they flew the coop!

Now shes free! Free to redecorate the nest, to nudge herself over the edge, to do a little flying of her own. Shes finally in a place where she can rediscover her likes and dislikes, her dreams and abilities. Best of all, she is in the perfect situation to fully develop her relationship with the Lord.

Why, then, does she struggle?

Becoming an empty nester is tricky. Its an awesome, amazing, freeing, terrible, horrible, no-good, very bad time filled with ups and downs, ins and outs. Youre struggling to balance those delicious feelings of freedom with the grief of watching your children make their way into the world without you! Talk about a conundrum!

Think about the mama bird and her young. She works tirelessly to nudge her babes from the nest, pushing them beyond their limits. Shes thrilled when they succeed. But the moment those little darlings take to flight, she has second thoughts. Wait a minute! she cries out. Hold on! I wanted you to fly, but I didnt mean for you to fly away!

Poor mama bird. She sits in the nest, bemoaning the fact thather taskfor the most part, anywayis complete. Shes worked herself out of a job. And now she is faced with the lingering question: What have I done? She mothered so well that shes left to suffer the consequences, whether shes psychologically prepared or not.

Chances are pretty good you can relate to that mama bird. As a mother, your world has been wrapped up in caring for the children God gave you. You sewed costumes for their ballet recitals, paid for guitar lessons, helped with homework, drove the carpool, spent countless hours at ballgames and other sporting events. You chose a van over a convertible and wore the team colors even when they clashed horribly with your complexion. In short, you gave up your very life for them.

And now theyre gone. The ever-present sound of video games echoes in your mind, but the house is silent. There are no tennis shoes to trip over, no stinky laundry to toss into the washer, and no arguments to squelch. The sound of your daughters voice chattering on the phone is only a distant memory, and you find yourself missing the hum of text messages coming through. Gone are the emergency poster-board runs on Sunday night, and the leftovers in the fridge are stacking up. Youve washed that cheerleader outfit for the last time and packed your last school lunch. Your fall schedule includes Friday nights free, and there are no more pep rallies to attend. Worst of all, youre having to learn to cook for two againor one, if youre single.