Now That I Have All The Time In The World, What Do I Do?

Over the weekend, a Facebook memory put me in a state of mind that I had been avoiding. One that provides love, warmth, nostalgia, reality, and fear. For the first time since I became a mother, I had to face the fact that they are all grown up, living their own lives and I'm finding I have too much time on my hands.

Here are the photos from the memory. that I decided to repost.

When my kids were this age, my only daily wish was to get a short nap, It seemed like I had zero time to myself. From the time I woke up, to the time I finally shut my eyes at night, it was no stop, cute chaos.

As they grew older, we were even busier. School and the activities that go with it made for very hectic weeks. I was always driving someone to rehearsal, picking someone up from practice, all while chasing one around the playground. I remember thinking how I wish it would just stop. Yes, I wished for those days to end. I longed for less stress and a more relaxed existence. I think every parent does from time to time. Parenting is so hard. I really wished those days away.

Now, I just want those moments back. I've been sitting here, at my house alone, all evening. No kids to feed. no toys to pick up, no game to go to, and no bedtime stories. Just me. The house is so quiet. I almost wish I had a fight to break up, almost. LOL.

Life goes by so quickly. In a flash, the children you gave your all to, are gone and living their own lives. Don't get me wrong, I am so proud of each of them and cherish every memory I have of our sweet days together playing, reading, laughing, singing, dancing, wrestling, and sharing, But, now that I've done my job and raised them into adulthood, what do I do now?

Right now, I don't know, my future is up for grabs. There are so many things I can do. Like I used to tell the kids when they were fighting about which restaurant to go to, We'll just go where the car takes us. And now, there is no road map of obligations and activities, my time is my own.

The sky is the limit and I plan to reach for the stars. I know that is where my kids would want me to go. I'll keep you posted.

The one thing I know I'll be doing is watching my husband do more things around the house.