When Your Kids Are Grown: Living in the In-Between
No one really prepares you for this part of motherhood—the quiet space after the chaos, the stillness after the storm of packed lunches, late-night fevers, dance recitals, and soccer games. When the kids are grown and the house isn’t quite empty but definitely not the same… what comes next?
Lately, I’ve found myself caught in this in-between stage. My girls are all grown—strong, beautiful women building lives of their own. And I couldn’t be prouder. But I’d be lying if I said it doesn’t feel strange. I spent decades being “Mom”—the carpool driver, the snack provider, the homework helper, the midnight worrier (who am I kidding I am still the midnight worrier). That role was so big, so consuming, that now I find myself wondering… who am I without it?
This season is a little lonely sometimes. Not in a sad or bitter way, just in a soft, aching way—like missing a song you used to sing every day but haven’t heard in a while. There are moments when I walk past an empty bedroom and feel a pang of something I can’t quite name. Not regret. Not sadness. Just the weight of time moving forward.
At the same time, there’s something kind of beautiful about this stage too. I’ve been rediscovering pieces of myself I put on a shelf for years. I’m spending more time in my “Blog Cabin,” pouring my heart into writing and storytelling. I’m meeting new people, trying new things, and learning to sit with the stillness instead of fearing it. It’s not about “filling the time” anymore. It’s about figuring out what fills me.
Being in the in-between means navigating grief and growth in the same breath. It means missing the old days while making space for new dreams. It means learning to love the version of myself who isn’t just a mom—but still very much a mother.
So if you’re in this season too, I want you to know you’re not alone. It’s okay to feel a little lost. It’s okay to not have it all figured out. We’re still becoming. Still blooming. Even in the in-between.
And maybe—just maybe—that’s where the real magic happens.
With Love,
Melissa
#EmptyNest #InTheInBetween #StillBecoming #MotherhoodEvolves #HopeAnchored
