Hi Reader,

I love having them back.

That's the truth underneath everything else right now. I had gotten used to the quiet while they were away at school, the kind that came and went in waves depending on breaks and visits. Now my oldest is home for good, starting his career, and my youngest is knee-deep in his internship just months from his senior year, and the house is full again.

Lots of shoes by the door. Dishes in the sink. Someone always coming or going. It's a good kind of a lot, but it's still a lot, especially after I'd settled into something quieter for a while.

There's something else lurking alongside that joy too. I can see both of them heading toward what comes next, my oldest building a career, my youngest closing in on his last year of school. That's exactly what we raised them to do, and it makes me so proud in a way that's hard to explain.

It also means the quiet I had gotten used to is going to come back eventually, this time for longer. So I'm standing in this strange, good place right now, loving having them here, and already feeling a little of what it will be like when they're not.

There's a bird's nest in the wreath on my front door right now (again). Five babies hatched a few days ago, the second nest there this spring. My mother loved watching birds at her feeders, and I can't help but wonder if she's behind this one too, sending a little reminder that things keep filling back up, even while you already know they'll empty out again.

Maybe that's what this whole season really is. Not one feeling at a time, but all of them together, the love of having them close, getting used to the noise again after the quiet, and the small ache of knowing it's all moving toward something else.

I wrote a whole post this week about what empty nest syndrome has actually felt like for me, more layered than just a quiet house. If any of this sounds familiar, I think you'll want to read it.

Have a great weekend,

P.S. Here's the post if you want the rest of it: Empty Nest Syndrome: What It Really Feels Like (Even When the House Isn't Fully Empty)​

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