Taking on the role of Paul Revere, I warned one of my good friends about the coming sorrow that would overtake her when her only daughter left for college. I was surprised when my friend told me that she was looking forward to this next stage in life. More time with her husband and more time for herself!

The best book that I read about adjusting to the empty nest was Barbara and Susan’s Guide to the Empty Nest: Discovering New Purpose, Passion, & Your Next Great Adventure by Barbara Rainey and Susan Yates. They interviewed many moms and found definite trends that explained why women respond differently to letting going of their young adult children.

Women who work in a career outside the home usually don’t feel a huge loss. I fell into the category of moms hit the hardest. Not only did I not work outside the home; my full-time job was teaching my children in my home. My kids were my life for 29 years.

I didn’t think about life after kid-raising. I didn’t make any plans. I would tell moms to begin preparing while their last kids are in high school.

During these 31 days, I’ll share some of those recommendations.