Kim Wilbanks

“We should do that one day”

How many times have you said that to your spouse, your children or even a friend?

It’s a conversation my husband and I have often.  This time it’s a little different.  This time the “one day” is now.

The Empty Nest is Really Empty

There have been three milestone events this spring that let me know the time is now.  First of all, our son turned thirty in April.  Thirty!  How can I possibly have a child that old?  Our beloved corgi, Higgins, died a week later.  Our nest was truly empty.  Finally, my daughter’s ten-year anniversary of high school graduation is in a matter of days.  Soon, it will be ten years that she has lived in another town, another state.

I feel like I have walked through a door, possibly even years ago.  I have walked through a door but kept my hand on the doorknob, not really leaving the room. 

These three milestone events have nudged me into letting go of the doorknob and closing the door behind me.  It’s time to move forward.

What’s Next?

I am blessed to have a good relationship with my husband.  We love each other but we also like each other and enjoy spending time together.  We have thirty-five year’s worth of “we should do that one day” events and we’re ready to get started.

First up, a quick trip to Pennsylvania to visit Gettysburg and the Amish country.  We are currently in the mountains of North Carolina, close to the Tennessee and Virginia state lines.  It’s only a six-hour drive to Pennsylvania from here, much closer than if we made the trip from our home in Central Florida.  Neither of us has been to Gettysburg and the history-buff in me has been itching to go for years.  I have been to Lancaster, PA and the surrounding Amish country but my husband has not.  I’m excited to show him around.  He’s excited to enjoy the delicious Amish cooking he has heard about.

Later this summer, we are going to visit another one of those “we should do that one day” places.  We are going to see Niagara Falls. We have never been so we are excited to see it.  Don’t worry, going over the falls in a barrel is definitely not on our bucket list.

There are many other things on our “we should do that one day” list.  Some are travel related, some are ministry, some occupational, some home improvement. Regardless of what’s on the list, it’s time to get started.

An Attitude Adjustment

I see a lot about the empty nest on social media.  The extremes are hating it and barely being able to function to totally embracing it and enjoying the freedom.  I think I’m somewhere in between but a little closer to the embracing it side.  I am learning that how you handle the empty nest, or any other life circumstance, has much to do with attitude. And prayer, lots of prayer.

So, whatever is on your “we should do that one day” list, it’s time to get started.  I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but, life goes by really fast.

What’s on your “we should do that one day” list?