Family

Most grandmothers I know carry a quiet question: What is my actual role here? You don’t want to overstep. You don’t want to second-guess your adult children. But you also don’t want to sit on the sidelines of the lives of the people you love most. There’s an answer to that question, and it comes from an unlikely place…

Does this ever happen to you? There you are, going along with your day, minding your own business and it hits you. The whiny, super-annoying feeling that tells you that no matter what you did during your marriage, it just wasn’t good enough…

The air inside the market carried the scent of yeast and something faintly floral. Coastal fog clung to the redwoods, but here the light through salt-hazed windows came in warm, settling over bins of produce and jars of honey. The space, built from reclaimed cedar, felt worn in the right places…

I still remember the day when our daughter and son-in-law announced that they were having a baby. My husband Rick and I were going to be grandparents! The pregnancy and birth happened in the blink of an eye. We were blessed with a beautiful, bouncing, 8 lb.10 oz. baby boy named Jacob…

One of the biggest surprises of midlife motherhood is this: Parenting doesn’t end when your children grow up. It changes. And often, it becomes more emotionally complex than ever before. Because now, you are watching from the sidelines as your adult child makes decisions you may not agree with – and cannot control. This stage can feel especially…

Many women over 60 are surprised by how emotionally intense relationships with their adult children can still feel. After decades of parenting, you might expect things to feel easier. More settled. Instead, many mothers describe something very different…

My granddaughter is drawn to anything sparkly. If it’s pink or purple – or both – all the better. One afternoon, I set my jewelry box in the middle of the bed. She climbed up next to me, legs tucked under, already reaching. We went through…

As I sit down to type this article, ignoring the little crack in my knee as I adjust my chair, I’m reminded that spouses really do have to help and support each other through the changes that midlife, and beyond, bring…

Have you had this moment – yet? Your children are grown. You’ve spent decades caring, guiding, and showing up in ways that required constant emotional availability. And yet, instead of feeling lighter…

Many women reach a point in midlife where something in their relationship with their adult children begins to feel different. The shift is often subtle at first…