by LaTonya Richardson 

For 26 years Mr. Husband and I have been nurses, taxi drivers, finders of all things lost, laundry attendants, independent banks, cheerleaders, coaches, and teachers to our five children.

Much of our daily existence has been centered around our children’s welfare, health and extra-curricular  activities. One year our three youngest girls were on two different softball teams, while our son played football, and the oldest daughter was in the junior high school band, all at the same time.  Our lives have always been extremely full, and we loved it that way.    

We always knew that one day our brood would grow up, leave us, and eventually make lives for themselves.  As our oldest graduated from high school and went to college, all of our running around was devoted to four. Our son graduated three years later, which left running behind three with their civic and academic organizations, multi-sports, community and church responsibilities. At that time an empty nest was not on my mind. Time has a way of bringing about a change.

Last Saturday, our oldest daughter got married, and our son already has his own little family. The two middle girls have graduated from high school, and are attending the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, playing for the Lady Lions, and living the dorm life. Only one baby bird remains in the nest, the youngest daughter, a junior in high school.

It’s hard to believe my children are no longer babies.

The dynamics of our large family have changed so much in what seems like overnight. Soon Mr. Husband and I will have an empty next, with no basketball and softball games to cheer at, and no cheerleading practices to sit in on. The thought of our lives changing so fast used to bothered me. After a lot of consideration I realized it was time to embrace the inevitable, and prepare for what lies ahead.

Date Nights

With the mayhem that has been our busy lives for so very long, date nights have been few and far between. We’ve sacrificed quality time together to be present in our children’s lives. Although our youngest is still home, and cheering every Friday night we’ve found a way to squeeze date nights in.  Every Friday night she’s cheering out of town, we’ll enjoy date nights with each other.

I’ve heard of married couples with nothing in common after their children left home. Before we’re left to our own devices, we’ve decided to make a conscious effort to (re)connecting as a couple, and not just as our children’s parents.

I found  a few post to help us get started.  

How to Make Date Night Happen

A Year of Creative Dates

50 Questions to Ask Spouse On A Date Night

Getting Involved

Over the years I’ve not been involved in my sorority, or other civic and community organizations outside of our children’s involvement because there was always a conflicted. Now that we have more time we can do more ourselves. It’s very important that we both have individual interest. I’ve started making a list of things I’d like to get around to doing.

A couple of years ago I joined the advisory committee for the Jefferson County Run Walk Dance. It has been an amazing experience to contribute to the planning and promotion of this event in our community.

Other plans I have include:

• Attending more blog and social media conferences.

• Plan a reading program and writing workshops.

• Volunteer for our local food pantry.

Travel

Most of our travel has been around our children’s sports and activities. We’ve traveled to some great places, and met some awesome people along the way. Like my plans to get involved, I have a much longer list of places I’d like to travel to. Some of the destinations are places I’ve never been, where others I’d like to return and explore.   

The past several years I’ve looked at life as one adventure after another. Bring on the empty nest!

 
Arkansas Women Bloggers member LaTonya Richardson is an instructor in Mass Communication at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff. A lifestyle blogger with mommy blogging tendencies, she Lives, Loves & Laughs Out Loud on purpose. LaTonya started blogging in 2009 as a way to chronicle the decade of her 40s. Since then she’s shared many of her life’s adventures one-at-a-time. Those adventures include cooking (and forcing her family to partake), exploring new places and trying to find adventure in the everyday madness that is her life. To sum things up…She’s an average woman trying not to have an average existence.