The Band Plays On: Beyond the Empty Nest

For those of us who struggle to keep singing after the kids are grown and gone.

Susan Poole
2 min readNov 8, 2023
Photo by Milan Popovic on Unsplash

Music danced in my head for 20+ years.

Melodies swirled in my mind and swept me off my feet while song lyrics filled my home and fed my soul.

The familiar tracks varied from year to year.

  • Babies crying.
  • Siblings fighting.
  • Crowds roaring and friends calling.

Gradually and without warning, the music faded. The musicians peeled away, until one by one they disappeared for good.

  • To blaze their own trails.
  • Stake their own claims.
  • Live their own lives and create their own music.

The voices whisper from a distance — sometimes so faint I can barely hear it anymore.

I still listen for it. Keep my ears to the ground and wait for those faraway songs to include me, to invite me back in.

  • A phone call.
  • A visit.
  • Thank, God for holiday gatherings.

The slightest connection fills me up and renews my energy to days gone by — to when my house resonated with joy and laughter.

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Susan Poole

Mother, lawyer, nonprofit executive, breast cancer survivor, and aspiring author. Recently left her day-job to write about topics that she’s passionate about.