NPR

Adjusting To An Empty Nest Brings Grief, But Also Freedom

Crystal Joyce's son — her youngest child — leaves for college in the fall, and she's worried about "not being needed as much as a mom." Ana Machado shares advice on the transition to an empty nest.
Crystal Joyce's son — her youngest child — is in his senior year of high school, headed to college in the fall. Joyce (left) gets advice on the transition to being an empty nester from Ana Machado, whose children have all left home.

When you're facing a major life change, it helps to talk to someone who has already been through it. All Things Considered is connecting people on either side of a shared experience, and they're letting us eavesdrop on their conversations in our series Been There.

For Crystal Joyce this school year is a series of lasts:

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