EMPTY NEST
I'm glad I found this website because so many of the women who write how I feel Word for Word.
I think there are way more women that go through this than we realize.
We devoted ourselves completely to motherhood for 30 years -now life is just empty and blank and boring and we have no idea what to do.
-believe me I haven't laid around and done nothing--I tried, I've tried like crazy. I can't pull myself out of this deep grief and depression and it's been four years now.
I think a HUGE part of this has to do with our American culture.
In the olden days families lived together. -right now we would be living with our kids and grandkids, and we would be honored and respected, they would be asking us to babysit, cook, asking for our wisdom, and we would still be useful and happy- part of the family.
I don't think we were meant to have raised our children for 30 years, completely devoted, and then when they leave, we have to live the rest of our lives doing absolutely nothing!
-that doesn't seem right to me!!!
I don't know what to say except that it is horrible -it is awful -I pray every day that I will come out of this soon.and I pray for all of you.��credwi88
You are correct. A couple of quick thoughts.
The woman at home teaching has limited many women from taking up other options (education, training etc), so when children leave there is a huge void to fill.
May wife and I have use dour home, and taken in people needing a safe place to live - some new Christians who need to get established, have a better family life modeled, students including foreign ones, become 'grandparents' to a younger family who don't have parents nearby to support them. There are so many needy people who can benefit from couples with wisdom, experience, acceptance and caring. Fulfill these words:
Isa 58:5-9
Is this the kind of fast I have chosen,
only a day for a man to humble himself?
Is it only for bowing one's head like a reed
and for lying on sackcloth and ashes?
Is that what you call a fast,
a day acceptable to the Lord?
6 "Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:
to loose the chains of injustice
and untie the cords of the yoke,
to set the oppressed free
and break every yoke?
7 Is it not to share your food with the hungry
and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter —
when you see the naked, to clothe him,
and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?
8 Then your light will break forth like the dawn,
and your healing will quickly appear;
then your righteousness will go before you,
and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard.
9 Then you will call, and the Lord will answer;
you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.
NIV
Create your own 'family'.
John
NZ