I pulled an audible this week, and I'm so glad I did. My hubby John was supposed to join me for another episode about sending our daughter off to college. Instead, he went golfing (on a 90-degree day, no less), so I called one of my closest friends, Michelle, and asked her to jump on the podcast with about an hour's notice. You’ll love Michelle! She’s a preschool teacher, a mom of three, and a fellow mom navigating that strange middle season of parenting: one kid out of the house, two still at home, and a whole lot of feelings in between. We talk about “mom-encholy,” that bittersweet and very strange mix of pride and grief that hits when your kids grow up and leave home. We talk about parenting older kids from a little farther away, the quieter house, and why friendship has become such a lifeline. I’m learning that we can’t rush the grief or talk ourselves out of missing our kids. We have to feel it, keep moving, and more importantly, let our friends help carry it. Honestly, this was the perfect accidental episode, because next week I'm launching a month-long series on friendship, connection and social health. I can't think of a better way to begin than with one of the mamas who has reminded me what friendship is supposed to look like. Because when we’re going through something hard, the best thing we can do is call a friend. Life Happens. Let’s Talk About It. Here’s the prayer I read from Dr Roland Ashby: “Heavenly Father, I lift my children into your hands. Go into the rooms I can not walk into. Stand at the doors I am not there to lock. Guard their hearts from bitterness, their minds from fear, their bodies from harm. Lord, you see what they carry, that they will never bring home to me. The worry they decided not to mention. The thing that went wrong that they handled alone. When they are tired, be their rest. When they are unsure, be their answer. When they are far from me, do not let them be far from you. Keep them close to you even in the seasons they drift from me. And let them find out one day that somebody was praying over their whole life before they ever thought to ask. In Jesus’ name, Amen.” Listen in to learn more: [0:00:00] Calling an Audible With Michelle [0:03:32] Friendship Chemistry and Personality Clash [0:03:47] Lightning Round: Meet Michelle [0:07:02] Real-Life Paula vs Expectations [0:08:42] A Year of Show-Up Friendship [0:10:08] John’s Golf-Day Cameo [0:11:08] Naming Mom-Melancholy [0:15:13] From Helicopter to Quiet Watcher [0:18:58] Grief, Growth, and Letting Them Fly [0:20:12] Weekly Girl Time as Lifeline [0:22:38] Rethinking Coed Dorm Life [0:23:10] Inside a Pre-K Teacher’s World [0:25:26] Building Independence in Little Kids [0:28:03] Why Summer Break Keeps Shrinking [0:31:20] Gratitude for a Once-in-a-Lifetime Friend [0:33:40] A Nightly Prayer for Launched Kids In this episode, we are digging into parenting older children; the difference between first-time college drop-off and when college students return to school; encouragement for parents launching their kids or who have recently launched them; different perspectives on co-ed bathrooms in college dorms; and what back-to-school is really like for teachers. Connect with Paula on Instagram Paula’s Newsletter is on Substack!! THE CARRY ALL weekly newsletter is on Substack!! Paula’s Book: You Don’t Have To Carry It All Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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