• Before my daughter went to college, some friends had warned me about being an empty nester. • I worried that the transition would be difficult, but it has been easier than I anticipated. • I'm enjoying seeing my daughter become more independent, and I have more time for myself.

The summer before my only child left for college, I texted a friend. She had a year of empty nesting under her belt, so I asked her what was in store for me.

"The empty nest is no fun," she wrote back. "I'm not adjusting well." I turned to another friend looking for encouragement, but she told me she cried every time she passed her child's empty bedroom and eventually closed the door. On social media, parent after parent lamented the "lasts" and endings of childhoods.

My daughter developed a rare autoimmune

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