Empty nesters

Recently I ran into a woman I used to work with. She was talking about being an empty nester. She went on and on about how lonely she was now that her youngest is in college and the other two live on their own. I kept nodding my head as a sign of empathy but nearly lost it when she casually said "Everyone says Chuck (her husband) and I should enjoy this time in our lives, but without the kids the house is so quiet and lonely."
I wanted to respond "Hey lady try being a widow and see just how quiet and lonely your house feels." Some of us live alone. Others have kids at home. Some widows live with their kids. Wherever you live, without your husband is truly an empty nest.
We bought our house in 1990 and did several renovation projects to make it our own. It's a small house situated in a big city. We have some outdoor space and enough room for whenever the kids came home. It was a house full of love and laughter. With an occasional fight to keep things interesting.
Since Lane died the house has never felt quite the same. It's a lot quieter and seems bigger. I rarely sit in the living room which I used to love. The gardening and even grilling seems more like a chore than a spring and summer treat.
With that said I can't imagine living anywhere else. Lane and I created a nest for ourselves and our family. We both loved this house. Now it's an empty nest but for me it's home.
How do you feel about your empty nest?
Sue