Another time of transitioning is coming too fast. My middle is graduating from high school! How can this be happening? I swear just yesterday he was a little guy throwing massive temper tantrums everywhere we went. Yeah, he was that kid. Thankfully, we learned he has Asperger’s and Sensory Processing Disorder. This helped us teach him, and ourselves, how to cope. He hasn’t thrown a tantrum in many years. 

I sat with my husband, going through all the things that come with a graduating senior. I realized I am almost done with my homeschooling journey, at least with my own kids. If my youngest does what both his brothers did, I only have one more year with him at home full-time. So far, each of my boys have spent their junior and senior years doing mostly concurrent classes at our local community college. My baby will be a sophomore next year! 

If that doesn’t make me feel old enough, my high school class just had their 30th reunion! 

As I said, my middle was diagnosed around the age of three with Asperger’s and Sensory Processing. I know these words can bring a large spectrum of issues. My son biggest struggle was transitions. Moving from one activity to another without ample explanation or time was a struggle. As I learned more about this, I realized how much of this he got from me. So over the last 15 years, we have learned from one another, helping each other transition into each stage of life. 

This time he will be transitioning into his adult life without me by his side. I will have to learn to move through life without him with me everyday. 

Thankfully, he will be living with his big brother while he goes to college. I remember when my oldest moved out. There was so much going on, it made it a bit easier for me to transition into my new life. But this time we are settled in our routines. We aren’t planning a move. We aren’t changing jobs. Relatives aren’t moving in with us as before. So how will I do it? 

How will I transition into this next stage knowing that in just a few short years I will have to do it one more time, for the last time? 

My youngest has been assuring me since he was five years old that he will never move out and never get married. So maybe that transition won’t be so bad (at first). But I’m not sure I completely believe he will ‘stay with mom forever’. And I’m not sure I want him to.

As my husband and I begin looking at the world of empty nesting, I begin thinking about full-time work outside the house. I look at ways to travel, to relax, to enjoy our older years. I am really looking forward to the lower grocery bills when the teenage boys eat less of our food. But the quiet is what really concerns me. Both the boys at home play instruments- guitar, keyboard, and drums! My house gets loud! 

I recently met some new neighbors. They live one street over and a few houses down. As I explained where I lived, I asked if they could hear the drums. They laughed and said they knew exactly where we lived. They can’t hear them from their house, but enjoy them as they take walks. It is going to get a lot quieter over the next couple years. 

The last 23 years of motherhood and 18 years of homeschooling have been mostly great. But now I have to start looking at what is ahead. I now get to focus more on my dreams, my schedule, what I want to do. I am excited to find new hobbies, spend more time with my husband, set new goals and work toward them. 

How do you transition into each stage of life? I would love any advice and encouragement you have! You can comment on this article on our Plaid Facebook page or Instagram page. Let me know what new things you tried at this stage in your life. 

Check out more from Carol on Plaid.