Childless on Children's Day

Yesterday was "Take Your Children to Work Day"...the day you take your children who are ages 7 - 15 to work with you. I used to take my children to work on "Take Your Children to Work Day"...that is when they were younger...and I was younger too. This year, like the past few years, I was childless at the office while many of my younger thirtysomething colleagues brought their children to work.

I like children...I love my children...and I enjoyed seeing and talking to all my colleagues' children at work. But this year...I don't know why this year...I was childless and it didn't bother me one bit.

I didn't miss having a child to shadow me...I liked the freedom. I didn't miss having a child to go to lunch with at a certain time because they were hungry. I liked the fact that I could go to lunch whenever I desired that day...or not at all. In fact, I didn't even go to lunch that day...instead I ate my Fiber One high fiber bar for lunch (love those bars...they are so good and so full of fiber...just heard they also are only 1 or 2 points on Weight Watchers too...I highly recommend them) and I drank my diet Snapple Peach iced tea. I didn't miss having to rush out the door either because my child was bored during the afternoon and wanted to go home early...instead, I even decided to stay late.

As my children get older...I'm enjoy having more freedom...no more birthday parties to go to every weekend...or presents and toys to stock up on...no more play dates to plan or school carnival booths to man...no more cartoons to sit through at the movies (although I do want to go see the new Pixar movie Ratatouille...I love the name and it is supposed to be about a rat in a restaurant...sounds like a cute movie...may have to borrow one of my colleague's kids to go see the movie with me.)

I think I'm starting to prepare for my empty-nesterness that will happen about 18 months from now when my son leaves (hopefully) for college...and my daughter graduates from college (and hopefully doesn't return home...like I've heard many college graduates do). It's almost like when you're pregnant and preparing for the new baby...you start to anticipate what life will be like when the a new little person joins the household and everything changes (forever). I'm starting to anticipate emptynesterness...to anticipate what life will be like when I'm once again childless at home...to go back to the future...like when I was a newlywed.

I wonder what it will be like to have two extra bedrooms again to do what ever I want with...wonder what it will be like to set up a sewing room in the large bedroom and an office in the small bedroom...think I will get a new MAC computer for myself too...just for me (well, okay, I'll let my husband use it too...and the kids when they come to visit)...and I can go exercise whenever I want...go to the gym whenever I want and not feel guilty because I'm not home for dinner by 7:00 pm.

I love my children...I will always love my children...there's a certain love you have for your kids that grows stronger every day...but emptynesterness is a great feeling when you're 49 and approaching 50...there's that letting go feeling...letting go of your kids and at the same time gaining a sense of freedom that feels good...that feels liberating...that feels new and fresh....and exciting.

Yes, let the birdies fly out...empty that nest...bring it on...I'm ready!

Judi