Thriving in Your Empty Nest Chapter
A 4-week immersion for parents navigating their child’s “launch decade" – as their world expands and yours evolves
DATES
September 22 – October 17, 2025
LED BY
Kari Cardinale
They’re starting (or restarting) their next chapter. Are you ready for yours?
You poured your love, time, and energy into raising your kids.
And now… they’re gone. Or mostly gone. Maybe they just left for college and the silence in your home is deafening.
Or maybe they moved back in – or never left in the first place – and you’re wondering when (or if) they’ll ever launch for good.
Wherever you are on this path, one thing is certain:
Empty nesting doesn’t look like it used to. And it’s more complicated – and more emotional – than anyone prepared you for.
Which of these sounds more like you right now? →
Your child just left – or is about to
You’re holding it together – but barely.
The house is quieter, your role feels unclear, and your heart is swinging between pride and loss.
You wonder:
You want to stay connected without hovering.
You want to let go with grace – and still feel close.
Most of all, you want to rediscover who you are now that everything’s changed.
Your adult child is still at home – or keeps coming back
You’re doing your best and are fully committed to supporting them.
But it’s exhausting.
They’re your kid – but no longer a child. The boundaries blur, the emotions build, and part of you feels stuck in a role you’ve outgrown.
You wonder:
You want more peace and clarity at home.
You feel helpless when you see them struggling with challenges you wish you could fix for them. You want to support them without losing yourself.
Most of all, you want to reclaim space — in your house, your identity, and your future.
There’s no manual for any of this.
And you don’t have to figure it out alone.
Whether you’re grieving a recent goodbye, navigating the emotional swirl of your child’s return, or having to say “goodbye” in a new way as your child gets married and their family expands, navigating your child’s launch toward independence calls for more than just patience or “letting go.”
It calls for reflection.
It calls for new ways of relating – to your child and to yourself.
And it calls for a willingness to open yourself to possibility, reinvention, and joy.
And that’s exactly what you’ll find in our new four-week immersion for parents.
Introducing
Thriving in Your Empty Nest Chapter
Support, insight, and community for the long goodbye – and the deeper becoming that follows.
Join Kari Cardinale – MEA Partner, Chief Content Officer, and four-time empty nester – for a new four-week online immersion program designed to support parents through the long, looping launch into adulthood.
Whether your child just left home, moved back in after a breakup, or is hovering somewhere between independence and interdependence, this experience meets you where you are – and helps you navigate what’s next.
What you’ll gain
In this four-week journey, you’ll receive tools, practices, and support to help you:
Four spacious weeks to reflect, reimagine, and move forward
Each week is built around a core theme designed to help you understand this transitional period and move through it with clarity and intention. You’ll get tools, insights, and space to reflect on what’s changing inside your home and inside you.
Week 1
Reframing the Transitions of Empty Nesting
We’ll begin by exploring the deeper story behind today’s extended launch years – and how to make sense of the emotional, cultural, and logistical changes happening in your home and heart.
You’ll gain valuable insight into:
“This isn’t just about them leaving. It’s about you arriving – in a new stage of life you didn’t know you’d been preparing for.”
Week 2
Embracing The Complexities of Modern Empty Nesting
Empty nesting probably isn’t the only major life transition you’re navigating right now. For many parents, this season overlaps with a cascade of midlife changes – from shifting relationships and careers to caring for aging parents or managing health concerns.
You’ll explore:
“Empty nesting looks different for everyone – there’s no roadmap, just the life you create, step by step.”
Week 3
Navigating Your Child’s Longer Launch Cycle
Remember when turning 18 meant being independent as an adult? This may be true for some, but for many families, the launch cycle is taking much longer these days. The good news is, you’re not alone.
You’ll explore:
“What if the emptiness isn’t a loss… but space for something new to emerge?”
Week 4
Flourishing in Your Next Chapter
This is a season of reinvention – not the retirement but the evolution of your role as parent. Whether you’re rediscovering creativity, building new friendships, or stepping into deeper purpose, this is your time to flourish.
You’ll explore:
“You’re not done parenting. You’re just becoming someone new – alongside them.”
Insights from Experts Who’ve Studied It and Lived it
You’ll gain valuable inspiration and clarity from renowned experts across fields like adult development, family dynamics, midlife psychology, and purpose-driven living. Each one brings a unique lens to the realities of parenting during your child’s launch decade.
You’ll hear from:
Gretchen Rubin
Bestselling author of The Happiness Project, on the “Open Door” stage of life and how to embrace what’s next with intention
Julie Lythcott-Haims
Bestselling author of How to Raise an Adult, on the modern challenges of intergenerational living
Barbara Waxman
Gerontologist and life stage expert, on redefining midlife and the new dynamics of empty nesting
Seth Streeter
Conscious wealth advisor and solo dad, on navigating identity and growth after the nest begins to empty
Dr. Stacie Foster
Arizona State University faculty and developmental psychologist, on what’s unfolding inside your emerging adult
Dr. Frank Infurna
Resilience researcher, on the psychology of midlife transitions and why they hit harder than we expect
Aaron Hurst
Social entrepreneur and thought leader on purpose, on finding your “third purpose” in midlife and beyond
Their insights will help you make sense of this complex chapter – and support you in moving through it with clarity, confidence, and purpose.
Live Session Schedule
Each of our four weekly live sessions will be offered twice on the same day, so you can choose the time that works best for you. Join us for any or all sessions – and show up ready to rediscover your purpose, identity, and joy in this evolving chapter of life.
Live sessions take place on the following dates:
Each session will be held at two different times so you can attend at the time that works best for you:
Lifetime Access to Recordings
Can’t make a live session? No problem. Every two-hour group gathering will be recorded and available in your member dashboard within 24 hours.
And with lifetime access, you can revisit them anytime – whether you need a boost of clarity or a reminder you’re not alone.
Weekly Community Café Meet-Ups
In addition to our weekly learning sessions, you’re invited to join us every Wednesday for an optional drop-in Community Café. These 60-minute Zoom gatherings are designed for deeper conversation, personal sharing, and connecting with our MEA team.
Choose the time that works best:
These relaxed meet-ups are a chance to stay connected, share your experience with other parents, and be supported as you navigate your own Empty Nest chapter.
This is for you if…
“I thought this chapter was about letting go. Now I see it’s about letting in – wisdom, purpose, joy, and possibility.”
Why This Work Matters
The old map of parenting said: they leave, you breathe, it’s done.
But today’s launch looks nothing like a clean break.
They leave, and your heart aches with a grief you didn’t expect.
And all too often they return – unexpectedly, repeatedly – and as happy as you are to see them, you’re left questioning your boundaries, your role, and whether you’ve failed as a parent.
The truth is:
This work isn’t just about parenting. It’s about letting go, staying close, and growing into who you’re becoming — even as they become who they are.
You don’t have to figure it out alone.
Meet Your Guide
Kari Cardinale brings nearly three decades of experience as a pioneer facilitator and social entrepreneur to her role at MEA.
With a rare gift for creating meaningful connections both in-person and virtually, she’s mastered the art of bringing wisdom to life through community building and thoughtful conversation.
Kari’s expertise in the longevity industry has led her to collaborate with hundreds of thought leaders worldwide, produce global summits on aging innovation and caregiving, and develop MEA’s online programs that have served thousands across the globe.
As a former Huffington Post contributor and featured guest on Dateline NBC and PBS’ This Emotional Life, Kari has contributed to the #1 Amazon bestselling anthology, Embracing Your Authentic Self.
Driven by insatiable curiosity and a commitment to lifelong learning, she embodies MEA’s core belief that wisdom grows through experience, reflection, and genuine connection with others.
What people saying
Thank you again for the opportunity to participate in MEA. It was the best gift in my adult life.
– Upkar Arora, CEO Rally
MEA was the most radically transformative journey I’ve ever embarked on.
– Irene Edwards
Highly recommended to anyone interested in exploring the roles they play in the world.
– Tina Seelig, Professor, Stanford University
My MEA experience was life-changing. It wove a sense of peace into my life that still remains.
– Ken Page, psychotherapist
MEA is a beacon for the soul, seeking renewal and inspiration for the next phase of life.
– Shilpa Sankara, entrepreneur
I became part of a community focused on mindful aging and embracing the beauty of liminality.
– Wanda Whitaker, visionary artist
What’s Included
Ready to Begin?
Join us for Thriving in Your Empty Nest Chapter – and step into this next season with clarity, confidence, and a deeper sense of who you are.
September 22 – October 17, 2025
Live online via Zoom + self-paced content
Includes lifetime access to materials
$497
$397
FAQs
Not at all. Each live session will be offered twice on the same day – so you can choose the time that works best for you. And if you miss one altogether, no worries – every session is recorded and added to your dashboard within 24 hours.
You’ll still get full access to everything. All sessions are recorded, and you’ll have lifetime access to the video content, tools, and materials. You can move through the program at your own pace, and return to it anytime.
Most participants spend about 2–3 hours per week engaging with the material – including the live session (or recording), reflection prompts, and optional Community Café meet-ups. But this is your experience. You can do as much or as little as you need.
Not at all. Many participants are in the “revolving door” stage – their kids come home during breaks, post-college transitions, or in between jobs. This program is for any parent navigating the emotional, practical, and identity shifts of this long goodbye.
Yes. This experience is for all parents and caregivers – moms, dads, stepparents, guardians, and beyond — who are navigating this major life transition. The content, stories, and tools are inclusive, supportive, and designed to meet you wherever you are.
No. This is a learning and reflection experience – not therapy or personal coaching. It’s designed to help you explore, gain insight, and take intentional steps forward, with the support of a caring community and a wise guide.
Absolutely. Many participants choose to go through the experience alongside a friend, partner, or sibling. It can spark powerful conversations and shared growth. Each person will need their own registration to access the materials and community space.
We offer full refunds up to 7 days before the program begins. Just email us at [email protected] and we’ll take care of it – no questions asked.
Their next chapter doesn’t mean the end of yours.
It might just be the beginning of something deeper, truer, and more expansive. Are you ready to give yourself the space you’ve given everyone else?