Find advice and comfort in "The Empty Nest" by Karen Stabiner

The book jacket for Karen Stabiner's "The Empty Nest" says it all, "As the baby boom generation ages -- the oldest are now turning sixty -- many of them are learning to deal with a whole new way of life, after the last child has finally moved out and they are, once again, alone. It’s the same milestone their own parents faced, but as with so many other markers, this generation approaches it in a whole new way."

Seeing your children take the ultimate step of independence and move out is an escapable rite of passage and as a parent you've known would happen since the day they were born. The result of the last child leaving home and adjusting to their departure is one of the more significant life changes you will make in middle age.

Stabiner's "The Empty Nest" is an anthology of essays from both well-known and unknown parents (mostly mothers). Yes it is a new beginning but it's hard to also not feel a sense of loss. This dichotomy (the pain of separation versus the new sense of freedom) and the many other conflicted feelings that result is one reason that a collection of stories from multiple perspectives is an appropriate approach for the topic.

As with most things involving your kids, expect humor and heartbreak, but also some good tips for dealing with your own offspring separation.

Amazon link: The Empty Nest: 31 Parents Tell the Truth About Relationships, Love, and Freedom After the Kids Fly the Coop

Additional Reading: "How to Make the Best of an Empty Nest" (Washington Post)