Through the years I’ve gotten rid of sentimental items I would love to see at least one more time. By Kimberly Witt
empty nest
I’m afraid of losing my daughter. I’m afraid of being replaced. By Jeannette Sanderson
You finally have the freedom you’ve been dreaming about for years, but you don’t know what to do with it. By Laura Carraro
How could this have happened so quickly? My son is all grown up with a life and a sailboat of his own, 3,000 miles away from me. By Eileen Vorbach Collins
At 42, I’d gone from newlywed to grandma. And no, it didn’t feel like a blessing. By Rica Lewis
As much as I juggled and schlepped and complained, the day eventually came when I realized my arms were empty. By Laurie Sunderland
How, my girls wonder, can they live a big life if they can’t get out of the gate? I feel for them. By Francie Arenson Dickman
I’d raise my family differently, not because of the mistakes I made—though I certainly made my share—but because time means so much more to me now. By Melissa T. Shultz
They arrived. One after the other. In snowstorms. On holidays. From foreign countries. In succession—as inevitable it seemed as midterms and finals. By David Joseph
So many parents speak of this transition period with promise and enthusiasm. But I loved nothing more than my kids walking through the door every day at 2:35pm. By Randi Olin
I wanted to believe that bringing teenagers into our life would make it easier to let them go. I was wrong. By Meredith Gordon Resnick
When it was time to walk away—leaving my son there and a part of my life behind—I didn’t have any regrets. By Randi Olin
Why is living in mom’s basement such a terrible thing? By Fara Nizamani
Nothing would be exactly the same again. I was inconsolable, even though the university’s family day was only a month away. By Dina Elenbogen
Parenting isn’t like baking. The ingredients you mix together aren’t the same with each kid. By Randi Olin
Home is where I raised them, watched them grow and then take flight. Maybe that’s why every time they leave now, it’s a reminder of when they left for good. By Morgan Baker
I was only thinking of miles, forgetting then, as I would many times, that part of parenting is sacrifice. By Paul Crenshaw
It’ll only occur to me months later, in the flurry of taking you to college, that this was the quiet part before the big crescendo. By Jennifer Niesslein
When the children are gone will I be something flimsier, something less than I was before? By Lauren Apfel
I want him out in the world. But this process—the leaving process—is excruciating.
By Emily Franklin
Motherwell interviews Andrea Jarrell about her debut memoir, which touches on themes of motherhood, desire and vulnerability.
I wish the kids could stay this age forever—on the cusp of leaving, but never leaving—only I know it would not end well. By Catherine Newman
I am shocked still by the parenting moments that break my heart.
By Catherine Newman
I had to step back and let her stand on her own two feet—even when she was shivering feverishly under the covers.
By Candy Schulman
Would having another baby after 50 salve my grief over my children leaving home?
By Andrea Jarrell