The quiet hit Suzy Mighell hard on her 50th birthday.
She had just dropped off her youngest child, her daughter, at college. After years of raising three children, serving on school boards, leading prayer groups and running snacks to practices, she walked back into a house that suddenly felt too still.
The silence, she said, was “deafening.” Yet, it was in that same quiet where she finally heard something she had been too busy to notice before: her own thoughts.
That moment marked the beginning of Suzy’s reinvention. Today, at 60, she leads Empty Nest Blessed, a thriving online community dedicated to helping women navigate the emotional, spiritual and practical challenges of life after children leave home.
Her work is rooted in encouragement, positivity and faith. But, it began with a deeply personal question regarding what God wants this next third of her life to look like.
A season of preparation
Suzy had anticipated the empty nest for years. As her oldest left home, she began praying, journaling and reflecting on what her life might become when her children no longer needed her daily attention.
Her husband, a CPA, had framed the transition in practical terms. “We’ve got about a third of our life left,” he told her. “So, we’ve got to finish it well.”
That idea stuck. Suzy realized she didn’t want to drift into the next phase. She wanted to enter it with intention.
During her daughter’s senior year of high school, she devoted herself to preparing emotionally and spiritually. Suzy explored job opportunities, considered part-time work and even imagined a simple life of exercise, cooking dinner and enjoying time with her husband.
She watched friends build second homes, return to school or step into caregiving roles. The possibilities were endless, but none felt quite right.
What she did know was that she wanted to encourage others. She wanted to be a voice of joy and hope for women who were struggling with the same transition she was facing.
Finding her voice
A friend who was blogging successfully encouraged Suzy to start writing. At the time, blogging was booming, and many people were sharing their feelings online. But, Suzy didn’t just want a digital diary, rather she wanted a ministry.
“I wanted to be a voice for encouragement, inspiration, positivity and joy,” she said. “Whatever season you’re in, God has given you another day. He has a plan and a purpose for that time.”
She launched Empty Nest Blessed with the simple goal of coming alongside women like a sister or close friend. Her clear message was you are not alone, and you don’t have to figure this out by yourself. That posture of companionship became the heart of her work.
“I’m right here with you,” she said. “We’re going to do this together.”
The surprising gift of quiet
As painful as the silence was, Suzy discovered it held unexpected blessings. Without the constant activity of raising children, she finally had space to think deeply about who she was and what she wanted.
“For the first time, I felt like I could really hear myself think,” she said. “Those thoughts I’d been pushing back for years were suddenly right there.”
She became more prayerful, more reflective and more honest with herself. The quiet became a catalyst for growth.
Why the empty nest hits so hard
Suzy believes the empty nest affects both men and women, though men often hide it better. Women, especially those who were stay-at-home moms or deeply involved in their children’s lives, often struggle with identity and purpose.
Many parents sometimes wrestle with regret, guilt or worry about their children’s choices. Men, she noted, may appear more detached, but they feel the loss, too.
“I do think it affects men more than they want to admit,” she said.
The transition can also expose cracks in a marriage. Couples who spent years focused on their children sometimes discover they have drifted apart. Suzy sees this often and speaks openly about the need to nurture the marriage long before the nest empties.
“It takes work,” she explained. “You think you’ll just relax into what’s always been there, and then you find out what you thought was always there maybe wasn’t as strong.”
She encourages couples to reconnect intentionally, starting with something as simple as planning a trip together in the first month after the last child leaves home.
Faith as foundation
Suzy’s faith is central to her purpose. She describes living “palms up,” fully submitted to God and grounded in the belief that her identity is not tied to being a mother, wife or blogger.
“My identity is as a child of the King,” she said. “I don’t have to do anything. I’m enough just the way I am.”
That truth, she believes, frees parents from becoming overly needy with their adult children. It also helps them release control and trust God with their children’s lives.
Parenting adult children with grace
One of the most challenging parts of the empty nest is learning how to relate to adult children. Suzy sees many parents struggle to shift from directing their kids’ lives to supporting them from a respectful distance.
“If you do not change the way you’re approaching it from the way you parented when they were in your home, you will lose them,” she said.
Suzy encourages parents to:
- Listen more than they speak
- Offer advice only when asked
- Affirm anything positive they can find
- Avoid judgmental or leading questions
- Focus on nurturing the relationship rather than being right
Her daughter once reminded her of this directly. Suzy had offered a single sentence of advice during a phone call, and her daughter gently stopped her.
“Mom, I called for you to hold the bucket,” her daughter said bluntly. “I didn’t call for a lecture.”
Suzy took the lesson to heart.
Becoming someone your kids are proud of
As much as parents long to hear “I’m proud of you” from their children, Suzy believes the reverse is also true. Adult children want to admire their parents. They want to see them thriving, learning, growing and embracing life.
“I want my kids to be proud of me, just like I wanted my parents to be proud of me,” said Suzy.
That desire fuels her work. She wants to model what it looks like to live with joy, purpose and curiosity in the second half of life.
A purpose that keeps expanding
Empty Nest Blessed has grown far beyond a simple blog. Suzy now writes about marriage, parenting adult children, travel, style, home life and faith. Her book, “Empty Nest Blessed: 60 Ways to Find Joy in the Empty Nest,” walks readers through the emotional and practical journey from preparation to reinvention.
Her message remains consistent across all her platforms. The empty nest is not an ending, rather it is an invitation.
“You have the opportunity to choose joy,” she said. “To discover who you are, to grow, to learn and to make a difference in the lives of others.”
For Suzy, meaning and purpose after 50 come from embracing that invitation with open hands, an open heart and a willingness to step into the quiet and listen.
For more information
People can connect with Suzy on these platforms:
- Website = www.emptynestblessed.com
- Facebook = www.facebook.com/emptynestblessed
- Instagram = www.instagram.com/emptynestblessed
- Pinterest = www.pinterest.com/emptynestblessed
- X = www.x.com/EmpTnestBlessed
- YouTube = www.youtube.com/emptynestblessed
Suzy’s book, “Empty Nest Blessed: 60 Ways to Find Joy in the Empty Nest,” is available on Amazon and in other bookstores.
If you order a copy of Suzy’s book from a link above, Forward From 50 may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.
