Empty nest; now where does our marriage go?

Dear Lori and Jeff,

My husband and I have been married for 22 years and we’ve recently become empty nesters. We still seem to get along well and are respectful and appreciative of each other, but over the years we’ve developed two separate lives: he’s a cyclist and I’m a runner, he stays up late and I go to bed early. We prefer very different movies, music and tv shows. We are intimate infrequently but neither of us seems to mind even though we both enjoy it when we do connect. With the glue of our kids no longer holding us together, I’m worried that we will simply drift apart and head in separate directions. What can we do to course-correct and get back on the same path?

Sincerely, Two Ships

Empty nestLori KretFebruary 13, 2023Aspen Relationship Institutemarriage coaching, relationship coaching, marriage after empty nestComment

Empty nesting: Redefining your marriage when the children leave

Dear Lori and Jeff,

My husband and I have been married for over twenty years and our youngest child left for college this past fall. We got along well throughout the years and both feel as though we’re good parents. But now that the kids are out of the house, we don’t know how to interact anymore. We seem to be getting in each other’s way and there is little patience, lots of annoyance and frustration, and we need to find a way to reconnect or we may end up as silver-haired singles. Any thoughts?

Signed, Empty Nester