Mindless Chores for the Empty Nester

The cycle of life just keeps rolling along................yes, once again, our house is free empty of children.  Our youngest daughter returned for her spring semester of college and the empty nest part of our life starts up again.  It does seem to get a little better each time this cycle occurs, mainly because I have established a routine and stick with it. 

After the children are gone, I set about doing some awful, tedious chore around the house.  It should be a chore that is someone mindless so that as I am going about the work, I am quietly thinking about the time spent with my family.  I find that without this chore, I do not allow myself to just think about the Holiday break and all the activities and time I enjoyed (or not) with the kids.  Today, I cleaned out my pantry.  Good, mindless work.  It's perfect now...every label facing out, all cracker boxes closed.  Did I mention that I get a little crazy right after the kids leave?

Of course, now I am tired of dirty work and just want to veg out in front of the television.  Life usually slows down once the kids leave and I am beginning to like this aspect more each year.  It's not all a sad thing now when the kids leave.  So, enjoy doing that chore you have been putting off.  Next week, we will start thinking about improving our life with our significant others.  Yes, it's a regular part of the empty nester cycle!