“Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”
Ferris Bueller
Ferris was wise beyond his years. You never know when your life will fundamentally change, do you? One minute you are the parent of a high school freshman, the next you’re preparing to be an “empty nester” at the age of 45. Literally. Let me explain.
Our daughter, bless her, is very bright. She truly enjoys learning and her interests run the gamut from cooking, to swimming, to astrophysics. While still in 8th grade, she applied to a prestigious math and science academy where the students are mandatorily boarded. She had a very slim chance of actually getting accepted as she would basically be leap-frogging her freshman year as the school is only grades 10 through 12. Yet, despite the odds, she subjected herself to the entire process. Needless to say, my wife and I had mixed emotions while waiting for “the letter”. While waiting, we spoke about the pros and cons (mostly the pros) and how everything would change. Obviously, we would be sad about not having our only child around on a regular basis, but we would be foolish to deny our child this opportunity. We found the “small envelope” in our mail right around the time we were expecting it. We were relieved. We got at least a 12 month stay. And our good-natured daughter took it in stride. Well this year, 12 months later, the “large envelope” was found in the mailbox. After the initial wave of shock and tears – from a convergence of pride and sadness – we quickly accepted the fact we had suddenly become empty nesters. Probably for the rest of our lives.
That’s how fast life moves. Are you prepared for that? Honestly, not many of us are. Downsizing. Upsizing. Phasing. Transitioning. Whatever you call it, it is emotional as it defines an entire period of your life. Nearly all of us will experience one or more of these phases during our lifetime. Have a plan. Or form one quickly. Be ready. Trust me, it can happen way sooner than you think. Listen to Ferris.
Thank you and make it a great day.