I Have Come To Accept The Empty Nest As Our “New Normal”

The first 48 hours are the worst.

You’ll get back from the airport, or the long drive, or maybe just the short drive that suddenly seems so much longer. And you’ll be exhausted, physically and emotionally, drained.

The house will seem eerily quiet, and the dog will glance at you with a pathetic and accusatory countenance. “Where are they, and why did you let them go?”, their sad eyes will question. And for a minute, you’ll second-guess this query yourself.

Your rational brain attempts to offe...