Six years ago, as my husband and I drove away from the campus of Vassar College I realized that we had officially become “empty nesters”. What would this next phase of my life look like, I wondered? My husband’s day-to-day life would change very little. He would still get up and go to work five days a week, but what about me? Sure, there would be less laundry and meal prep would be easier, but how would I adjust to not having my children at home?
I loved having them around. I had made the decision when they were young to become a stay-at-home parent, and while I was so proud of the young adults they had become, I wondered what was in store for me?
How would dinners be with just my husband? Would we really be able to travel more or would that be limited due to his demanding job? What would my day-to-day life look like? I had started volunteering when my children, Lindsey and Daniel, were young, recognizing that if I was not going to go back to work, I would need more than being a mommy 24/7. Over the years I volunteered with a number of organizations in the Jewish community including sitting on the board of Krieger Schechter Day School (KSDS). But I knew I needed more. Once Daniel left for college, I joined the Jewish Women’s Giving Foundation (JWGF). I loved my first year at JWGF. It spoke to me in so many ways and was different from my other volunteer work. After graduating college, Lindsey started her new job in Baltimore. I was glad to have her close by again. Daniel was home for the summers but he was busy working. We had, it seemed, after some time, adjusted to our new “norms”. My volunteer work grew, I became more involved with JWGF and agreed to become the chair of the KSDS Board.
