Lois Krogh

We never read a book without bringing to it all of the circumstances in our lives at the time we are reading. I suppose you could dismiss my delight in this book because I happened to be falling in love with the man who I was reading it with! 

I am not old, not yet. But I can feel old age in my bones, and it takes a little longer to find details in the hard drive of my brain. There are new aches and pains that greet me in the morning or after a walk. I know all sorts of limitations are coming. The world would have me believe I can stop the aging process. But the fountain of youth is a myth. Scripture would tell me that to age with grace and wisdom is to flourish even though my hair grays and my skin wrinkles.

  Can we pause a moment and address the truth that the term “empty nest” has a negative sound to it? Doesn’t it? When is empty a good thing? An empty tank of gas? An empty fridge? An empty wallet? Perhaps we could recover from the “empty nest syndrome” by thinking of open hands rather than an empty nest? When I open my hands to let my children go, I am in a position to open my arms to welcome new people, opportunities and adventures. One is never idle when her hands are open to receive.