Off Duty Mama: Empty Nesting

This post is dedicated to those who've reached out to check on me during the this time Mason has been gone for the Summer program with college. To be honest, I didn't think anything of it after the first week until the calls started rolling in asking how it's going as an empty nester. Fast forward to Week 4. I am now letting it sink in during my last quiet weekend before he returns thinkin...WOW...not only is Summer almost over but so is a chapter of mommyhood as my first begotten son heads off officially for college.

I want to THANK YOU not only for checking on me when I didn't think I needed it but also sparking an idea to kinda...make it a series of how I navigate the shift of being a full-time mama to a more intuitive, guiding role—without losing my presence.

Now for shyts n giggles, I do NOT expect to speak to him everyday. In fact...I know my kids. Toot does the same thing. They don't go too long without hearing my voice but I'm aware Mason has a whole social life as a teen. He's enjoying himself on campus and making new friends. I send him monies here n there and the confirmation of receipt lets me know he's breathing, lol. This is why I'm so glad I'm not one of those obsessed with their kids kinda moms becuz I know they grow up to have their own life and if mine is so engulfed in theirs...who am I when it's time for them to leave the nest.

Table for One

Ever since Mason packed up for his four week program—a soft launch into college life—I’ve been easing into my own new chapter, too. The house is quieter, but not still. I’m cooking less (because honestly, why am I making full meals when oysters after work hit the spot?), and I’ve been savoring the shift. My Sip Trips haven’t skipped a beat, and those solo Nordstrom dates? Oh, they’ve become their own kind of therapy. Weekends have turned into intentional me-time—just Toot and me, with slow mornings, long walks, and unhurried afternoons that feel like small, sacred rituals.

Letting go is no small thing. Watching Mason’s wings stretch and lift has been equal parts of pride and ache. But in the quiet, I’ve been tuning into the internal conversations I once didn’t have time to hold space for. Who am I now, in this moment? What do I want to fill my days with—not out of habit, but from the heart? This chapter is less about what's missing and more about what’s unfolding. Off duty doesn’t mean off-purpose—it just means the job description has changed.

I have no idea what this Empty Nesting chapter looks like. I do know I've been lowkey prepping for this since he was younger. I was hip early on. In a vintage post circa 2017: Being Selfish As a Mother was my stance on putting myself before my child **gasp** Yes, I know it's nothing a MOM would say out loud right. If you fully read it you'll see my Sip Trips wasn't far off from what they are now. Dmnnn...I'm really ahead of my own time lol.

Where am I head? Who knows. My navigation may be broke at the moment but I know as I continue on the journey; the direction will become clear. I know I can lean on moms before me to assist as needed-I'm grateful and now...I got time :D