When my friend Susan got to the empty nest season of life, she issued me a warning…”Be careful of those young adult years. That’s when your kids have bungee cords attached to them. They leave…they come home…they leave…they come home.” I laughed and thanked her for the warning. And now I’m so glad she prepared me for this season!
Anne has been married now for almost two years. But for the two years between high school graduation and her wedding she was in and out of the house. She went to college at Taylor University for two semesters, she came home for the summer. Back to Taylor for another semester and then back home to transfer to ISU. Then an opportunity for her to be a nanny in Paris, France took her away for three months, but then she was back home again until her wedding day 9 months later.
Now we’re in that season with Evan. He’s been living in a house with 4 other guys but with an August wedding on the calendar and their lease expired he’s decided that living at home isn’t such a bad idea for a few months. And while he’s at it, his best friend Cory also needs a place to stay in town for the summer—could he come stay with us too until he gets married in September?
So in the next two days Austin and Kolya will once again be sharing a bedroom—just for a few months. Evan will move into Austin’s room until his August wedding (Austin says, “My room, my rules! He has to follow my rules!) Cory will move into the guest bedroom. And we’re moving into a wonderful season of time that we’ll make the most of because we won’t get to do it again.
Our six bedroom renovated farmhouse has been a little quiet for the past few years. We went from five kids at home to just three—and many times because of Erica’s work schedule there’s only four of us home for dinner. Suddenly the house will be full again…and busy!
I’m sure I’ll be ready for things to settle down again at the end of the summer but for now I’m savoring this bungee cord season of life. I honestly think it’s God’s way of slowly easing a mom into the next season of motherhood.
