Freedom for the Empty Nesters The big change is no kids at home. As Nick left, Amanda arrived for the summer. She left for CU in mid August, right after our San Francisco trip. Freedom from daily responsibilities is somewhat overwhelming, and the house stays clean. TV is off, and the phone doesn't ring. It's a whole new life. Freedom is whatever! Our kids need us in different ways now. Nick calls on our 800 number quite often about his limited resources. He is having difficulty with that. Who didn't at that age? Being far away, he only needs money from us! Amanda uses us as a sounding board. She communicates with us about what's next and wants our input (unlike ourselves). Giving a detached perspective is a good challenge for us and a good life lesson. We are focusing on getting things done for ourselves. For Andrea, more writing courses, Web site construction, house addition, traveling, Spanish lessons, remodeling, xeriscaping, patio plans,reading, visiting, and spending more time with friends. Besides spending a fair amount of time working and commuting (increased traffic clogs the highways), Tom is studying Spanish, revising addition plans, and solving our computer problems - including some of those encountered by Amanda in Boulder.
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