So Lonely After Fall Break

[Layla]

My daughter is a freshman in college this year. She came home for fall break last week. It was great! Granted, she spent a lot of time with her friends who were also home for fall break. We did get to spend some time together, and it was so nice having her here at home at night.


She went back to campus on Sunday, and I'm so lonely again. Thankfully, Thanksgiving is only a little more than a month away. How do you all deal with this loneliness? Does it ever get any easier?

[Moonlight]

Hi, Layla. Nice to meet you! I'm glad you get to spend some time with your daughter; you must have missed her a lot. For some, it gets easier over time. As I saw that the kids were doing okay, that we could still see each other and stay connected, we learned to get used to the distance. Holidays without them are so empty and different, but we have to get used to those days too.

Is your daughter coming back for the Thanksgiving?

[haidyl]

At the back of your mind, you must have wished that she spent more time with you, than her friends. It gets lonely when it is time for your child to make that journey back but to beat this, I always try to think over every other conversation and light moments we had, in the course of their stay. How often do you speak? From your post, it seems like she will be around for Thanksgiving? That's probably a little over a month from now.

[Bewitched]

I'm glad that you got to spend some time with your daughter! It's always so nice when they visit. I'm sorry that you're dealing with the loneliness again. For me, that has gotten a lot better with time. However, there's always a part of me that feels a little listless when they leave. I try to focus on the positives of having the house back to myself. Sometimes that's easier said than done though.

Just remember that she'll be coming home again soon! You've got Thanksgiving and Christmas coming up.