I saw a quote (here in mud cat perhaps) the first half of your life is ruined by your parents, the last half by your children. Well, I am experiencing empty nest too- my youngest daughter will go to college in a few weeks/days, too, and the eldest has been out of the nest for 5 years or more. My nest is especially empty since both of my parents both died this spring, and i have been seperated from my children's father for over a year now..my extended family, neighbors and music friends are my kin now, nad the folks i camp with at music festivals are the people i celebrate with. Plus, having no brothers or sisters (of the biological type) i connect with cousins as if they were siblings... it is fulfilling to choose a time of year (holiday) to commemorate ache time it rolls around...thaksgiving is nice because there is not a emphasis on gift giving and big commercial thrust...just an attitude of being thankful for what is....then again, solstices and equinoxes offer 4 time a year to celebrate--my on-line friends and connections do fill a space for me to keep in contact exchange ideas and share--from another empty nest--Laurel i appreciate my mud cat family, my greg brown chat list family, my strawberry music festival, and my festival camp-mates the Dung Beetle Clan--life today has moved so far away from the Village of yester-year, but you can form your own village from the like-minded friends around you!! (form your own clan!!)