Empty Nester

What does a parent do when their child leaves for College? Im sure every family that has children leave the nest go through many different stages! I have seen movies where the children come home and their bedroom is exactly how they left it! A shrine of their childhood.

For me it is much different-here is the back story.

I live in a small town in Northern Ontario Canada, which is beautiful and just down the road we have access to the Canoing Capital of Canada-Quetico park. It’s beautiful, our town is very small not even a stop light! Yes! That small.... Our winters are VERY long, cold and we get lots of snow!

What do I do on those long winter days. I craft! I write! I read! And I watch a lot of curling!

My house is very small, it’s a two bedroom house with a basement and we have a husky and a cat. Our yard is very big and looks out over a river that runs through the town. When my only child ( young man) left for school I cried, and it was very hard. We are very close, well as close as you can be to a teenager! -lol . All parents will laugh at that one! He is a great kid, with goals and has his future somewhat mapped out. Can you say proud! Anyways.....

Are you wondering were the organization comes into play!

Honestly.... wow! Where to start one room at a time they say! Try renting a dumpster rental For one room. Yes! You guessed it, my sons room. Love him to death, but HOW! How does one small room get um..... so messy!! I put the gloves on, N95 mask and went for it!

Perhaps it is a little over exaggerating.....

But you get it, I know you do!!

Throwing away things are easy when it’s not yours! Come on-old high school binders-Really( what was he thinking, selling his old tests for money?)

6 garbage bags later, a couple of blue bags! I’m sure all of you parents find water bottles, Gatorade bottles everywhere! On the desk, window seal, floor, hamper!! I scratch my head and said out loud, (like the cleaning ferries could hear me) Seriously!-I looked around the room, is there a graveyard for recyclables? I need to call 811- needing assistance! The garbage bags are a little heavy for this mom!

Even I laughed at that one!

Before I got carried away I thought I should put a few things away ( he has to have some sort of a shrine), after all he is awesome... and it’s not my stuff to throw away! Well, perhaps a few things. Sh... don’t tell!

Once everything was out of the room-yes everything, I look around and think, Gees..I could host a ballroom extravaganza in this room, it looked so big!

We set up the TV that was already there but never was watched( outdoorsy kid) We brought in a beautiful bookshelf to put MY crafting supplies in. So exciting to have my stuff in one room! Set up the big desk for an area for sewing, and an area for writing. When the shelf was done I stood back and admired my work!

Then it hit me-Oh no! He is coming home for reading week! The horror in my eyes would think I just saw a ghost! I sat down on his bed-think... think of what to say! ...

Hmm.. I know, the curtains are the same not frilly, the bedspread with guitars his grandmother made was still on the bed. Whew! Missed a bullet.. I looked around his room and thought, I’ll dig out his trophies from a box, dust off and re-place neatly.

The bedroom now looked like a craft/dorm room, I’m sure he won’t say anything! I hope.

It looks so good! Clean, tidy, and crafty! Now I can watch curling all winter long while I sew, craft, and write! Do I miss the bedroom how it used to be? Absolutely NOT!

However, I would give it all up to have my son home...

———-———————-a little note to new parents, enjoy every moment, enjoy the little things, every hug, every story, every scrape, every moment, they grow up fast! —————

Including, the mess...

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Enjoy college my boy, we miss you every day! P.S. thanks for the craft room-for now!