Empty Nest Syndrome

The empty nest syndrome refers to the time in family life after the children have grown up and moved onto college, work, marriage, or their own independent lives. For parents, this can be a time of strong feelings. Some experience joy, fulfillment, and relief. Others feel loneliness and anxiety, or a combination of both good and bad feelings. For some parents, this is marked by the pain of loss and the anxiety of letting go. They may find themselves asking questions like "What is my purpose in life?", "My work is done, so who needs me?", or they may feel bitter and say "Look what all…