I have been reminded lately how precious time spent with loved ones is. I have heard it said often, “Where does the time go?” I have also uttered those words myself. When my kids were little and in grade school, time seemed slower. But now it feels like it is flying by. A few summers ago, my kids spent a week at the beach with their grandma. The first day I made my dinner and sat down to watch a movie (my husband worked late hours at that point in time). I thought: ‘this is nice having the whole house to myself.’ But as the week wore on, that novelty wore off and I couldn’t wait for my kids to come home. The house was way too quiet for me. Thoughts began in my head about when they would leave home and what that would be like.

When my kids were all in grade school, I used to ask myself what I was going to do with all of my extra time when they graduated, especially since I home schooled them. But as they have gotten older, God has brought jobs my way and developed interests in me that I didn’t dream I would be doing 3 or 4 years ago. As I write this, my sons have graduated high school and my daughter, who is the youngest, just recently graduated. My nest won’t be completely empty this fall. My son, Zach and my daughter, Emma will be going away to college, but my oldest will remain at home for now as he continues commuting to school in a nearby town.

Do you wonder what you will do when your kids graduate and eventually leave the house? Here are some ideas that you can consider:

Try volunteering your time to a local nonprofit. There are many that are in need of volunteers. Find out more about helping in your community by clicking here.

Pick up new hobbies or restart some old ones that you have dabbled with in the past. I have devoted time to hobbies I enjoy like cooking, drawing/painting and writing. Find a time that you can devote to your hobby. After some trial and error, I discovered I do my best writing getting up around 6:30 in the morning. During the week, I do not always have time to paint or draw, so that usually happens on the weekend.

Go back to school. At one point I thought about going back to college and getting my Masters Degree after my kids all graduated. This plan hasn’t worked out as I have a lot on my plate, but this may be a great opportunity for some to get their high school diploma, college degree, or an advanced degree.

You could start your own business. God has given me the desire to have my own home business and blog. It was scary to make that first step to begin, but it has helped me grow as a person because I have had to get out of my comfort zone. Find something you love to do and turn it into a business. Do you love to cook? Teach cooking classes. Are you good at sewing? Teach others how to sew or you can sew coin purses or head bands and sell those. I know there is more to it than that. If you need help with all the details, I recommend reading Business Boutique, by Christy Wright, “a women’s guide to making money doing what she loves.”

If you don’t know where to start with beginning a business and love helping people, I would encouraging you to go with Young Living. It is cheaper than starting a brick and mortar business and the hours are flexible, because you make your own. I didn’t think I would ever do a network marketing business, but I only chose this after much prayer and discussion with my husband. I had this strong desire to start a business for a few years. About the same time I was introduced to Young Living essential oils. I had a battle going on about what kind of business I would do and every time I would come back to helping others learn about essential oils. I guess my reluctance was the unknown: not really knowing much about network marketing and also not knowing how to share with others. After learning the realities of a good network marketing business and how, with Young Living, you are teaching others (right up my alley since I used to be a teacher) and sharing with people around you what oils are and how they could help, I decided to give it a go. Has it been easy? No, but it has grown me as a person, and I have found I love having my own business while helping other people. If you are interested in learning more about the business please contact me. If you just want to learn about oils or are interested in becoming a member (you are never required to sell or buy every month-it’s like your own personal wholesale store), please check out my website or contact me, and I would be happy to assist you!