Now that my kids are off to college, what’s this empty nester dad to do?

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This month, our twin boys — our only children — will fly the coop and head off to university. For the first time in 19 years, just two of us and our 12-pound Maltese Shih Tzu will be rattling around inside our family home.

The laughter and music that have echoed off the walls will be gone, and my wife and I will enter a new, uncertain phase of life. We will become empty nesters.

Admittedly, this is a rather stark interpretation of what empty nesting is going to be, but we hope we’re well-prepared. We’ve been discussing our dreams for the future, exploring the restaurants that we never quite had time to frequent, and the pickleball paddles have been ordered. Still, it’s been hard to ignore the daunting finality that has been creeping up on