I gave up my career to raise 4 kids. Now they're grown, I'm 57, and I'm starting my life over.

Courtesy of the author The author raised her four kids and is now an empty nester.

It was a morning like most others. Rise with the sun, kiss my husband, feed the cat and dogs, make my coffee , and sit out back to greet the day. Except that this morning, the house was empty for the first time in 30 years.

As I sat down to drink my coffee, I whispered, "I can't believe it's actually here."

Fat, warm tears began making their way down my face, and my heart felt like it was breaking into a thousand tiny pieces.

I closed my eyes, took a slow, deep breath , and reflected back through the years that now felt like one long, beautiful dream that I was trying not to wake from.

I raised 4 kids

I saw each of their four faces at different ages and seasons, felt the warmth of their snuggles, heard the echoes of their little voices bouncing off the walls of our home, and remembered rocking them to sleep and kissing away…