As of yesterday afternoon at approximately 4:00PM, my husband and I became Empty Nesters. In case you can't see me right now, I'm doing a little conga-line dance all around our son's (former) bedroom, soon to be a home office. Okay, maybe it's not a true conga-line dance, since there is no line. I'm dancing by myself, but dancing none-the-less!

It's not that I won't miss him. It's that, at 24, it's time for him to go be an adult someplace else, rather than a child at home. I'm actually a little envious, because he's starting off on an adventure -- moving to California with his girlfriend. They're taking a week or so to drive out there and are going to take the time to see the Painted Desert, the Petrified Forest and the Grand Canyon. They don't know it, but they're recreating a trip I made with my family when I was around 14.

It's already quieter around here. No computer game noise, no stereo, no tv (and all at the same time!). No dull roar coming from his room. I'm looking forward to some quiet space of my own. I do sort of wonder when it will sink in that he isn't going to walk in the door any minute, but at the moment I'm still dancing!

(C) Susan Pruden.