👋🤩 Howdy FabYOUlous!
We've been empty nesters for many, many years.
Our oldest daughter is now 33. Our youngest son is 26. And somewhere along the way, those little people we were raising grew into adults and gave us the wonderful bonus of becoming grandparents.
Our oldest grandchild is now 15 and our youngest is 7. They come over for sleepovers from time to time, which brings some of that wonderful noise and activity back into our home.
But then they go home, and once again, the house gets quiet.
You would think that after all these years I would have this empty-nest thing completely figured out. Nope. 😂🤷♀️
Apparently, it takes me a little while to adjust to things. Okay, maybe a lot of while. Lol!
Because here we are in 2026, and I feel like I'm finally beginning to truly embrace this season of my life.
And I've realized something, I'm getting to know myself.
For so many years, being a mom was at the center of my world. My children's needs mattered. Their schedules mattered. Their happiness mattered. Helping guide them, protect them, encourage them, and raise them into good human beings mattered tremendously to me.
Those years weren't something I needed to "get through." They were precious. I cherish them.
And I am incredibly proud of the adults our children have become. Watching them build lives and families of their own is one of life's greatest gifts.
But somewhere inside all of that mothering, there was still a me. And now I'm getting acquainted with her again.
Who am I when someone doesn't need a ride somewhere? What do I enjoy? What brings me peace? What dreams are still tucked away inside me? What do I want this chapter of my life to look like?
Those questions have actually been pretty enlightening.
For the first time in a very long time, I'm learning what it feels like to slow down. To breathe. To enjoy my own company. To notice the little things. To protect my peace. To nurture my relationship with the man I love. And to give myself permission to pursue something that has lived in my heart since childhood...
Lookin' Fab-YOU-lous Boutique.
My husband provides wonderfully for our family and is incredibly supportive of this little dream of mine. I often call LFB our business because he helps me in so many ways. He, however, insists that I call it my business. Lol! I think that's his way of saying, "This is your dream. Go chase it." And I'm learning to do exactly that.
I'm also learning something that might have been difficult for the younger version of me to say: I am allowed to be a priority in my own life.
That doesn't mean my family matters any less.
Oh goodness, no.
I love, adore, and cherish my husband, our children, and our grandchildren with all of my heart.
Making room for myself doesn't take love away from them. It simply means I'm finally learning that there is room at the table for me, too.
Maybe that's one of the gifts of this season.
Motherhood didn't disappear when my children grew up. It changed.
And perhaps I'm changing right along with it.
I'm learning. I'm dreaming. I'm creating. I'm enjoying quiet moments that years ago might have felt lonely but now sometimes feel like a tremendous blessing. And I'm discovering that I don't have to have everything figured out.
I am—and always will be—a work in progress. And I'm okay with that.
Because maybe life isn't about finally arriving at some finished version of ourselves.
🦋 Maybe we're supposed to keep discovering. Keep growing. Keep learning. Keep asking ourselves what good we can bring into this world. And keep becoming more fully who we are.
If you're an empty nester... If you're entering a new chapter... Or if you're simply learning more about yourself... I hope you'll give yourself permission to enjoy the journey.
You can cherish who you used to be, while getting excited about who you're becoming. You can love your family fiercely, and love yourself, too. You can miss an old season, and still find beauty in the new one.
Take the time. Breathe. Enjoy the quiet. Notice the little things. Dream another dream.
And please remember, You are allowed to have a place on your own priority list.
Wherever you are on your journey, I wish you peace, joy, love, kindness, laughter, and plenty of beautiful discoveries along the way.
We're all works in progress.
And perhaps that's exactly what makes this journey so FabYOUlous.
Until next time...
Be kind to yourself and Be Your Own Kind Of FabYOUlous 💐🙏🦋
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