NEW GUIDE: Pitfalls to Avoid if Your Empty Nest Feels Lonely
“I hope when you come home to yourself ...there are flowers lining the front porch ...that were left from all the women you were before”
- MAIA
go back to
MYSTERIES OF THE MIND.
Wholesome thoughts and advice? You be the detective.
I Was So Busy Taking Care of Everyone Else—Now I Don’t Know Who I Am
☕ Who am I now that no one needs me like they used to?
For years, my name was "Mom."
Sometimes it was "Honey," or "Auntie," or just “Can you help me?”
I wore all those names with love.
But somewhere along the way, I stopped hearing my own.
Then one day, the house got quiet.
And I realized I didn’t recognize the woman in the mirror anymore.
🌱 Why This Matters
This isn’t just about the kids moving out.
It’s not just about retirement or losing a caregiving role.
It’s about that aching feeling deep in your chest—
The one that asks, “If I’m not busy taking care of someone else… who am I?”
That question? It’s not a crisis.
It’s a calling..
🔍 Losing a role is not the same as losing yourself.
But if you’ve spent decades in service—of a family, a marriage, a community—it can feel that way.
We’re taught to be the glue that holds everything together.
The quiet strength. The behind-the-scenes miracle worker.
But what happens when the glue is no longer needed?
Who are we when our usefulness isn’t measured in meals made or problems solved?
Here’s the soulful truth
You were never just what you did for others.
You’ve always been more.
Now is your time to become her.
🌿 5 Soulful Shifts That Help You Find Yourself Again
1. Grieve the roles that shaped you—but don’t stop there.
Grief doesn’t just come when someone dies.
It comes when a part of your identity quietly slips away.
The day the last child moves out…
The moment your caregiving duties end…
The silence after years of noise and motion…
That silence can feel like loss.
And it is—but it’s also an opening.
Let yourself grieve.
And then let yourself grow.
📝 Reflective prompt:
What roles have I released recently?
Which ones do I miss—and which ones feel like a quiet relief?
2. Burnout doesn’t mean broken—it means you’ve been holding too much, for too long.
Sister, emotional burnout in empty nesters is not a sign that you’re failing.
It’s a sign that you were strong for so long that your soul is asking for rest.
You weren’t designed to be everyone’s everything forever.
Even the strongest women need replenishment.
Instead of asking:
“What’s wrong with me?”
Ask:
“What part of me needs gentleness right now?”
🌸 Try this:
Treat yourself like you once treated your loved ones on their worst days.
Offer compassion. Offer rest. Offer a soft blanket and no expectations.
3. You are allowed to want more—without guilt, without apology.
For years, your joy came second. Or third. Or never.
Because someone needed a ride.
Because the bills were due.
Because it was never your “turn.”
But here’s the shift:
You no longer need permission to prioritize yourself.
You are the permission.
This isn’t midlife crisis talk.
This is soul-deep clarity.
🌟 Say this out loud:
“I am allowed to want more from my life.
More joy. More meaning. More of me.”
4. Rediscovery doesn’t require a reinvention. Just reconnection.
You don’t need to become someone new.
You need to remember who you were before the world got so loud.
She’s still in there.
The girl who loved to dance in the living room.
The woman who dreamed of writing a book.
The artist who stopped painting because there was never time.
🧭 Ask yourself:
What did I put down so long ago that it’s now covered in dust?
What small step can I take to bring her back into the light?
Then take one step. Just one.
Even lighting a candle in her name counts.
5. You are not alone. The ache is shared. So is the rising.
This moment of “Who am I now?” isn’t rare.
It’s unspoken common ground among women over 55.
And that’s why we must speak it. Share it.
Make space for each other’s unraveling and becoming.
You’re not the only one who’s felt invisible in the grocery store.
Or wondered if her dreams have an expiration date.
Or cried in the shower just to release something unnamed.
You’re not alone, Sisterfriend.
And you never were.
💞 Do this today:
Send a message to one woman you trust. Say,
“Have you ever felt lost after caregiving or motherhood ended? I’m navigating that now.”
Watch what happens.
You’ll be surprised how many women exhale when they hear you say it first.
🌻 Soul Takeaway
You are not an afterthought now that the caregiving has slowed.
You are a woman at the edge of her own becoming.
This next chapter isn’t about doing more.
It’s about being more of who you already are.
You get to:
Redefine what joy looks like
Prioritize your wants, not just your duties
Take up space without apology
Say, “This is my time—and I’m ready to meet myself again”
Your worth isn’t tied to your usefulness.
Your identity isn’t tied to your to-do list.
And your purpose?
It’s still unfolding.
Beautifully. Boldly. Quietly.
Right here.
ReDiscover MySelf Book Basket - Further Reading When You’re Ready to Go Deeper
Each month, we recommend one featured and two bonus books that echo the soul of our theme—books that meet you exactly where you are and gently stretch you into where you’re going.
Our Theme: Wanting More Without Shame
Featured Read:
📖 Untamed by Glennon Doyle.
A fierce, honest, and poetic exploration of what it means to unlearn our conditioning and remember who we really are. Glennon dares to ask: “What if we stopped being good so we could be free?”
Why it Fits: This month, we’re reclaiming joy. And Glennon’s truth-telling reminds us we don’t need permission to feel fully alive.
Bonus Reads:
The Gifts of Imperfection by Brené Brown — A permission slip to embrace vulnerability and let go of “supposed to.”
Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert — A playful yet profound reminder that joy and creativity are sacred, not selfish.
Ready for More Like This?
If this post stirred something in you—if it made you pause, smile, tear up, or breathe deeper—here is your invitation to come join us in The Awakening Circle, the free ReDiscover Myself newsletter and community.
Every other week, we unpack these tender truths together—with stories, rituals, reflections, and a gentle nudge to keep choosing you.
It’s a warm, biweekly letter from one Sisterfriend to another—helping you come home to yourself, one gentle truth at a time.
You’ll receive:
🌿 Real stories from real women
✨ Soft mindset shifts you can carry into daily life
💌 A steady reminder: You still matter. And your joy matters, too.
Because rediscovery is sacred—and it’s not meant to be done alone.
🔐 Subscribe below to unlock the full experience and join ReDiscover Myself.
💌 From My Heart to Yours
If this spoke to something tender in you—
If you felt seen, softened, or stirred…
You’re exactly who I write for.
Because healing doesn’t happen alone.
And rediscovery is sweeter in Sisterhood.
👉 Join The Awakening Circle now
Let this be the beginning of your return—to yourself.
Final Thoughts
You’ve given so much. And now?
Now, it’s your turn.
No guilt. No shame. Just grace.
Let this be your invitation to begin—again.
Find your power faster. Become a member.
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