Empty Nest

In a previous post entitled No Joke I made mention of all the goodbyes that we face during this phase of life. I suppose not all goodbyes are difficult, but even the ones that are consciously chosen or the ones you believe you're prepared for can surprise you with feelings of sadness and doubt. Goodbyes mandate transition, sometimes you're ready for it, and often times you're not. When my youngest of three sons decided to move out I was definitely not prepared for the whirlwind of emotion that followed. Honestly, I'm still attempting to find my footing in this "Empty Nest" world I'm living in. Still trying to figure out how we got here so fast! The John Lennon line, "Life is something that happens while we're busy making other plans", comes to mind.

We are surrounded by teachings of mindfulness and the importance of living in the present moment so those moments don't pass us by. When I was a child, yoga was just this weird, new age practice that only "hippies" did. Now, it's actually prescribed by doctors as a way of achieving and maintaining good health. Reminders to breathe and be aware are right at our fingertips. For instance, as I write this I'm listening to beautiful, calming, piano music on my phone which is one of the 15,000 meditations you can choose on this great app I downloaded to my phone at the advice of a friend. Literally 15,000 opportunities to be brought back to the here and now if needed!

My point is this, there is a LOT of help available to not allow life to be something that happens while we're busy making other plans, yet I still find that's the direction my mind naturally heads in. As I write and listen to this piano music, I'm hearing my husband's annoying whistling to the 70's rock station he has blasting from his phone. I'm also hearing my stomach trying to tell me it needs food, NOW! I'm hearing the humming of the portable heater at my feet and thoughts of indecision on how I'd like to see the rest of this day play out, all the while trying to decide the direction I want this post to go in. Our days are full of distractions. Life really is one big distraction after the next, isn't it? And that, my friend, is how you go from this...

Goodnight Moon

In the great green room
There was a telephone
And a red balloon
And a picture of -
The cow jumping over the moon
And there were three little bears sitting on chairs
And two little kittens
And a pair of mittens
And a little toy house
And a young mouse
And a comb and a brush and a bowl full of mush
And a quiet old lady whispering "hush"
Goodnight room - Goodnight moon
Goodnight cow jumping over the moon
Goodnight light - And the red balloon
Goodnight bears - Goodnight chairs
Goodnight kittens - And goodnight mittens
Goodnight clocks - And goodnight socks
Goodnight little house - And goodnight mouse
Goodnight comb - And goodnight brush
Goodnight nobody - Goodnight mush
And goodnight to the old lady whispering "hush"
Goodnight stars - Goodnight air
Goodnight noises everywhere

To this...

Goodnight Room

In this child's old room
There was a telephone
And computer full of tunes
And a picture of -
He and friends at graduation that June
There were three little bears and other stories we'd share
I'd read books about kittens
And he'd cuddle up and listen
And a family's loving house
And a bed on which he'd bounce
And a comb and brush and dirty laundry untouched
And a tired old mother yelling to "hush"
Goodnight empty room - Goodnight moon
Goodnight childhood  - And years gone too soon
Goodnight laughter - And tunes in this room
Goodnight bears - And special moments we shared
Goodnight mittens - And stories of kittens
Goodnight clocks - And late night door knocks
Goodnight loving house - And bed on which he'd bounce
Goodnight comb - And goodnight brush
Goodnight nobody - And clean laundry untouched
And goodnight to the tired old mother longing to yell "hush"
Goodnight stars - Goodnight tears
Goodnight silence everywhere

...in the blink of an eye.

Namaste.

XO,
Carrie