Graduation, Moving and the Empty Nest

Just a Thought

I’ve spoken about having an empty nest in the past, but my nest wasn’t truly empty. While three of my children had fully moved out of my house and begun their careers, the fourth one was still pursuing her degree and as such, had not settled down in one spot.

All this changed this past weekend when Toni graduated from William Carey University College of Osteopathic Medicine in Hattiesburg, Mississippi officially becoming Dr. Keilers. Prior to graduation, we found out that she would be moving to Jackson, Mississippi to complete her threeyear residency program in pediatrics. Since Jackson is relatively close to Hattiesburg, and wanting to maximize our travel time, the decision was made to leave a day or so early to move her in to her new home.

We began loading everything up on the weekend before her graduation. As we did this, the realization that she was moving away for good began to sink in. She asked me questions like, “Should I take all my clothes?” And my response was, “Yes, when you come back, it will only be for a visit next time.” Wow. This hit me as hard as it hit her. The more we loaded, the emptier the house felt. Up until now, I always had at least one of my children who still “officially” lived at home. Once the trailer was packed, we began the 10-hour drive, and after arriving at her new home, we started unloading boxes, assembling furniture, and stocking her pantry.

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