I remember playing the graduation song Pomp and Circumstance on my base clarinet when I was in high school. I loved the grace of that song. Coming from a small high school, our band usually only played it once, maybe twice, until all the graduates crossed the stage.
On May 29 this year, I’ll sit with other parents listening to this tune while our youngest daughter marches down the gym floor to receive her high school diploma. Where has the time gone? What now? Will this syndrome known as “empty nest” hit soon?
Brooke will be leaving the day after graduation for her summer job as a Bible camp counselor, joining her older sister, Kortni, at Metigoshe Ministries, an ELCA camp 30 miles from our home. Maybe the short distance is why I’m not concerned about being an empty-nester. Both girls will be so close. This fall they will be enrolled at Minot State University—only 50 miles away—working toward a career in elementary education.
I can’t help but wonder, “Where has the time gone?”
I remember when they were born. I remember that favorite snuggle position. I remember their first day of school, that first lost tooth, confirmation, driver’s license. The words to the song Turn Around come to mind.
“Turn around and you’re two,
Turn around and you’re four,
Turn around and you’re a young girl going out of my door.”
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My husband, Steve, and I are so blessed to have such great kids. They were raised in a Christian home and taught at a very young age the importance of simply being nice. They have stumbled at times, but with the help of our faithful God, they’ve learned to pick themselves up.
The three-year age difference brought on some of the regular sibling arguments, but they have grown to be best friends. As they move on to the next stage in their lives, I know that we have done the best job possible in molding them into fine young women. Steve and I are also moving in to our new roles in their lives—as mentors and friends.
Empty-nest syndrome doesn’t have to be ‘empty’ or a ‘syndrome.’ The Lord has many people waiting to be a blessing for us all. It’s only a matter of making yourself available to God and allowing God to use you.
To those of you who are concerned about becoming empty-nesters, I suggest you instead enjoy this season of your life. Open yourself to the possibilities God has for you as you prepare your children for the world and you prepare to be blessed.
Lisa Plorin is a first-term Women of the ELCA executive board member from Upham, N.D.
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Photo: Lisa’s daughters, Kortni, left, and Brooke
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