Ah the Empty Nest....doors open, doors close, my empty nest dang near killed me literally. Totally for years a SAHM, my son's were ME/my life, to make matters worse my DH took a job in the same town as the boys college and my nest was for days completely empty. YES, it's painful to our very core to feel the loss of being needed, loss of contact & daily interaction, hugs & kisses. Long talks at midnight....Then one day, you notice they still come around and visit, you find a new quiet time with your grown young people, the conversations shift to more adult topics, like rent, phone bills, & Oh what joy! Recipe swaps and advice...It's then you wake and find a new woman all her 'own' to do with her days a she wishes. {to an extent}, yogurt and toast for supper days. LOL Then the kids have empty nest syndrome, when Mom don't answer the phone...YEIKES!! Where's Mom? She's out to lunch, having a pedicure, shopping for things she didn't dare spend on when baby needed a new pair of shoes. Time heals and you learn to embrace a new relationship with the adults you raised, one day they buy dinner or cook, you can go mess up their house and leave..You survive, they survive, the family thrives on the memories old and new ones yet to be made. Its as natural as the last diaper, first day of school & so on. Cry! Play music - Dance, whatever it takes to get through the heart tugs. No 2 people deal with anything the same, but we all can lend a hand of support to each other..my heart feels for you, yes our youngest is most difficult to see fly away, we have no spares. LOL In essence, every event in life is an ending and a beginning in 'one'.