Family

What do stereotypes say about young adults born between 1997 and 2012? What valuable role can grandparents play? To set aside judgment and open up the conversation, they have a key advantage: perspective. They know, for example, that every new generation has, in its own way, been viewed with suspicion by the one that came before it…

Pets bring so much joy to our lives, but being a responsible pet owner also means being a considerate neighbor. A little common courtesy goes a long way toward creating a happy, peaceful community for everyone – both pet lovers and non-pet owners alike. Here are a few simple tips for being a good pet neighbor…

Recently, I took a trip to Idaho to visit my son. He’ll be 56 this July. I adopted him when he was six weeks old, and from the moment he came into my life, he brought me more joy than I could ever explain in a sentence or two. We’ve had a good life together. Not perfect. No life is. But real. As parents, I think we sometimes freeze our children in time without realizing it…

One of the strangest parts of midlife motherhood is realizing your children still matter deeply to you while also realizing they no longer need you in the same way. No one really prepares women for that emotional transition. We spend decades building lives around driving, organizing…

When divorce is mixed with other transitions in your life like retirement or taking care of an ailing parent, it’s tempting to never want to leave the house. Although feeling overwhelmed and confused during divorce is normal, avoiding these common boomer…

When the family doctor rescinded my 80-year old Dad’s driver’s license, my siblings and I were relieved. It may sound cruel, but his GP did our family a great service. Dad’s growing dementia had become an issue and his eyesight was failing…

It occurred to me, as I was watching a television program, that I was fussing about the behavior of the characters. I thought to myself, Why am I still watching this show when the characters get on my nerve? Why do I keep watching it? How is it that I haven’t turned it off? And that’s how this particular reflection…

There is a moment in motherhood that arrives without announcement. No milestone. No celebration. No clear language for what is happening. Your children are grown. They are living their lives. Making their choices. And suddenly, you are standing in a space that feels unfamiliar… even though you earned your way here…

The next time you see a tree, let it remind you of the value of friendship and community. When I turned 70, I found myself stunned and lost, wondering “Where did everyone go?” I had recently left full-time work, and around the same time, my grandson, whom I’d raised, launched into young adulthood…

Conflicted feelings and emotions are at an all-time high after the transition through divorce. Sometimes it’s terribly challenging to control and channel reactions to people or situations in a positive, constructive way; and as a result…