DEAR HARRIETTE: A few years ago, my daughter moved to New York City to pursue a career in fashion. She is now moving to Los Angeles to pursue her modeling career, and she has secured a couple of campaigns prior to her moving west. I am proud of her because she is taking advantage of every opportunity in front of her, but this presents a dilemma for me. My daughter is my last child to leave the house, and I will have an empty nest for the first time in 23 years. The idea of living in this large house by myself bothers me. I'm thinking about moving to LA start a new life for myself and see what the world has to offer. What are your thoughts? -- Going West
DEAR GOING WEST: It is understandable that you want to downsize your life and make a change since your children will be gone, but following your daughter should be done with caution. Talk to her to see if she welcomes the idea of you moving to LA with her. Your daughter is building her life and exercising her independence. Make sure that you don’t stymie that because of your new insecurities. If she likes your idea, be sure to set up your own life and not be reliant on her.
(Harriette Cole is a lifestylist and founder of DREAMLEAPERS, an initiative to help people access and activate their dreams. You can send questions to askharriette@harriettecole.com or c/o Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.)