The Quiet Shift
Nat doesn’t have a lot to pack. She’s been living here, finishing school, and building her life step by step. When she and Carl move into their own place later this month, it won’t take a U-Haul or a stack of boxes. It’ll be a bit of furniture, few bags, some essentials, maybe a couple of Target runs.
And yet, even without the piles of belongings, this transition feels enormous. Because it’s not about the stuff — it’s about the space. For the first time in my adult life, there won’t be a daughter living under my roof. The rhythms will change. No late-night footsteps, no fridge opening after I’ve gone to bed, no casual “good morning” drifting from her room.
It’s not just a move. It’s a shift in the soundtrack of my life.
Music as a Metaphor
When Nat told me she and Carl had signed a lease, my first thought wasn’t about furniture or bills. It was about how this house will sound different.
At first, the idea of silence felt scary. But then it struck me: silence isn’t the absence of music. It’s the chance to create a new playlist.
Every stage of parenting has had its own soundtrack. Lullabies and nursery rhymes when they were babies. Disney movies on repeat. Marching band concerts and pop songs blasted from upstairs bedrooms. The clatter, the chaos, the constant hum of a house full of kids.
Now the next track is queued up: an empty nest.
From Chaos to Choice
Here’s the truth: a full house doesn’t leave much room for choice. The soundtrack is decided for you — by kids, by routines, by life happening around you whether you like it or not.
But an empty nest? That’s where you pick the songs.
It doesn’t mean you stop being Mom. It means you start being more you again. You get to choose what fills the silence — whether that’s music, new projects, friendships, or just the sound of your own thoughts.
The quiet can feel lonely. But it can also feel like possibility.
The Playlist I’m Building
To ground myself in this transition, I’ve started literally building a playlist — songs that feel like midlife anthems, songs that remind me this next season isn’t about endings, it’s about beginnings.
A few of mine:
- 🎶 “Golden” by Jill Scott — because this season is about living wide open.
- 🎶 “Get Down Tonight” by KC & the Sunshine Band — proof that joy shows up in unexpected places.
- 🎶 “Brave” by Sara Bareilles — a reminder that courage isn’t about being fearless, it’s about showing up anyway.
- 🎶 “Unwritten” by Natasha Bedingfield — because the rest of the story is still mine to write.
- 🎶 “I Will Survive” by Gloria Gaynor — dramatic, sure, but let’s be honest, it belongs.
It’s more than music. It’s a way of reminding myself that I get to choose the vibe of this new chapter.
What This Teaches Me
Midlife has a way of stripping away what you thought was permanent. Kids grow up. Parents age. Careers shift. Health changes. And every time, we’re asked to reimagine who we are in the quiet that follows.
This empty nest season is teaching me:
- Motherhood doesn’t end. It just changes form.
- Space isn’t a loss. It’s an invitation.
- Silence can be sacred. It’s where new dreams are born.
- Every chapter has a soundtrack. You get to press play.
An Invitation to You
You don’t need to be an empty nester to feel this. We all hit seasons where the soundtrack changes — a relationship ends, a job shifts, a move happens, or a dream takes a left turn. The old noise stops, and suddenly, there’s silence.
Instead of fearing it, what if you built a playlist for it? A set of songs that remind you of your strength, your joy, your resilience. A soundtrack that tells you: this chapter matters too.
Closing Thought
When Nat moves out, the house won’t look that different. But it will sound different. And that sound — that quiet — is the beginning of something new.
I don’t know exactly what’s next, but I know this: I’m going to fill it with music that makes me feel alive.
So here’s to the empty nest playlist — to choosing the songs that carry us through, and to remembering that silence isn’t the end. It’s just the pause before the next track.
💭 Your Turn: If you were to make a soundtrack for your next season, what would the first song be?