DEAR ABBY: I'm a single father of three, the youngest of whom finally left the nest last year. I have spent my adult life raising my sons, who are definitely the truest blessing any man could ever hope to have.
To my dismay, now that I am living alone and see my sons only on weekends, I feel lost. I had all these plans for just such a time, but now I find I have little motivation to do anything. It feels almost as if I have lost my purpose, as though my job is over and I can't find the me I was before I was a father. Please give me some advice. -- BARELY BREATHING
DEAR BARELY BREATHING: You appear to be experiencing classic empty nest syndrome. It happens to many parents when their last child leaves home. A way to cope with the emptiness and aimlessness you are feeling would be to talk about it with other family members, or the parents of other young adults who have moved out on their own. It's important that you fill your time with activities you enjoy, and socialize with others so you don't just sit around and brood.
However, because your feelings of sadness and aimlessness have persisted, I recommend you also discuss them with your doctor to make sure you are not suffering from depression. If it is depression, your doctor can help you.