Family

I have spent some time recently, thinking about family relationships. About three years ago we moved my mom from four hours away to live closer to us. There’s a lot of history in our relationship, and I had some concerns about the move…

During the days before Mom’s death, there were long periods of intense stillness. While sitting quietly in her room, conversing in whispers with my sisters and brother, sadness settled into my chest. I caught myself holding my breath at times…

Estrangement is complicated and deals with perspectives from many different angles. Estrangement can be challenging to navigate emotionally since both estranged parties likely want to solidify who is to blame…

Did you know that if you were married for at least 10 years, you may be able to claim Social Security benefits based on your ex-husband’s work record? This is particularly important for women who were stay-at-home moms who had a shorter work history…

Valentine’s Day! Causes the heart to flutter, doesn’t it? Champagne, chocolate, flowers… you know, go big or go home, right? It is one of my favourite special days of the year. I love to celebrate love. But intimate relationships…

There is some part of human nature that encourages people to make amends. We all make mistakes – however much we don’t like that fact – and it makes us feel better if we can put them right. Particularly sizeable ones…

In today’s world – with grandparents living far away from their grandkids, and grandparents often needing to work well into what should be their retirement years – what can we do to reinvent grandma and make good connections with our grandchildren?

The role of mother-in-law is all over the place. As with most of your relatives, it’s not your choice to be related to the person who makes you a mother-in-law. But unlike your “blood” relatives, it is someone’s choice: your child’s. So this new person…

Several years ago, my husband and I visited an old friend who had not been well. We were shocked to see that his health had deteriorated quite quickly with cancer, heart disease, and early onset Alzheimer’s – all at the age of 60…

Finally, the day we’ve been working toward arrived. Both of us retired. Ever since I left the workforce 10 years ago, we’ve dreamed of the days when my husband would join me. We imagined leisurely days we could spend together doing…