Free Bird Nation

Wife. Mom. Friend. Co-worker. Sister. Empty Nester.

And so it began. Empty Nester was added to the top-line summary of who I am. Now to be sure, I am proud that my “birds” are reaching adulthood and leaving the nest. There is just something about the term “empty nester” that I have simply never liked. Maybe it’s just the word “empty” itself.

To me, “empty nester” seems like something negative happened to me when it should connote a more positive outcome: the kids have all grown up and no longer live at home versus the end result of successful parenting. I know there are many different life circumstances that come into play, but in general, I believe the goal of successful parenting is for your kids to mature and start their own lives. Leaving the nest is a net positive and something that should be celebrated. It should be seen as a beginning, not an end.

So no, please do not refer to me as an empty nester, as my “nest” is not empty. It’s full of amazing memories and regular visits from my birds. Refer to me by my preferred term – Free Bird – as I fly towards this next stage of my life, wings spread, eager to see what is next.

I am not 100% sure where the term Free Bird came from. As a woman of a certain age, I somehow think Lynyrd Skynyrd might have had something to do with it, but who knows?! For those of you who are too young to have spent countless hours belting out “Free Bird” with your friends while drinking Bud Light, click here.

The earliest reference to Free Bird as an alternate for Empty Nester I can find is in a blog called betterafter50.com where they ran a contest to redefine the term, and the winner was Free Bird. Regardless of who coined the phrase, I am proud to be the mom of three amazing young adults. Proud to be the wife of an incredible husband and partner in crime. And, of course, proud to be a Free Bird!

So what exactly does a Free Bird do? Well, that is up to you.

1. Double down on your career – I could not be more proud of how I balanced raising my kids while maintaining an extremely fulfilling career. Many of my fellow Free Birds were not so lucky and put their careers and a lot of professional aspirations on hold. It is never too late to follow your passions and find a job you love. There are many stories of women (and men) that found a second act later in life, and that can be you. In full transparency, I work for Creatd, the parent company of the creator platform Vocal. Vocal is the perfect example of a place where you can create content and earn money. Win win.

2. Reinvent yourself – Let’s be honest, you are not getting any younger so the time is now. Take a risk you might not have been able to for too many reasons to count. Be a Free Bird and spread your wings! My husband and I recently moved to Singapore. If we can do that during a global pandemic (see my next story for more on that!), so can you.

3. Go back to where it all began – For me, that is my relationship with my husband and father of said “birds.” I love this time to focus on us, something that we often put on hold with years of carpooling, homework help – you know the drill.

So, here’s to calling all Free Birds to take flight. In the immortal words of Lynyrd Skynyrd...

“For I must be traveling on, now

'Cause there's too many places I've got to see”