For the past several years when anyone would ask me to tell them a little about myself I would always being by telling them how I am a mother of 2…..I am very proud of being a mother. While my children have not discovered the cure for any disease or end world hunger to me they are the reason why I wake up every day, the reason why I breathe.

Now I am beginning the empty nest phase of life with my youngest scheduled to leave the nest in the next few months. I am preparing myself my empty nest phase or as I like to refer to it AC life after children.

Initially I was concerned after all the past years I have always made decisions based on “what is in the best interest of the children”. Well pretty soon I will not to make decisions like that. I will get a chance to be selfish. I have an opportunity to re invent myself. I feel lucky to get a chance to do that, not everyone is able to see things like that. I will be able to take chances and not always play things safe. I do not regret the decisions I have made. If I had to do things over again I probably would make the same decision.

So now here I am, with no restrictions so my plan is to get out of my comfort zone, get out of my little box. Not sure where I would start exactly since the sky is the limit. There are many areas that I can see need work, a whole lot of work too. I have decided to start with work. If you think about it we spend most of our waken hours at work. Personally I spend about 12 hours daily at work, sometimes I work when I get home, and also on weekends. That is an awful lot of hours when you are not doing something you enjoy. I fell into the technology field in since it paid well, and I had 2 children to take care of. Well now with the youngest one almost out the nest I can take more chances. I will also cut back on expenses too.

Relationships is another area I will work on too. Most of my acquaintances were made around one of my children activity. Again, there is nothing wrong with that but I want to have my own identity outside of being “so and so mother”
These changes and any others I come up with will not happen overnight I intend to enjoy the process to become a new and improve person. I will emerge out of my cocoon just like a little butterfly. I do not know what I will become but I do know there will be changes to come.

What kind of changes would you like to make?

Author's Bio: 

Carmen is a New York native, most recently transplanted in Texas. Carmen is the single mother of 2 children, the youngest will be living home this summer. After a life dedicated to raising her children she now finds herself facing an Empty Nest.

To learn more about how to prepare for Life After Children (AC) or coping with Empty Nest Syndrome simply visit http://LifeNextStage.com