Friends are the family I’ve chosen for myself
There are a couple of clichés that get that way because they’re so damn true. Some that have been true for our family of two is that friends are the gods’ apology for families, friends are the family we choose for ourselves, and friends walk in when everyone else walks out. My patchwork quilt of family is mostly made of beautiful friendships, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
You don’t need kids to “start a family”
I’m married, and, if things go according to plan, we won’t ever have kids. Or, as some of my family members have put it “start a family.” Now, I take issue with that phrase. Blood… children… a family needs not these things…
How do we break it to our family members that we’re Child-Free?
My husband and I recently tied to the knot, and here’s the thing: I love my mother-in-law. She is a super sweet woman… but she also wants more grandchildren. She has one, but she wants more. Here’s the catch: we’re not having any children. Ever.
Foster parents: how do you deal when your foster child is adopted by another family?
We’re both gravitating to fostering over adoption for a whole bunch of reasons that basically boil down to it’s what we think would work best for us, save for this one issue. How do you emotionally cope when your foster child moves on to a permanent family?
I was born multi-racial and didn’t realize it until I was 6
As an adult I find myself faced with the issue of race every day — I never know what to check when I’m filling out any kind of official form. The truth is, if it were not for my mother’s words I’d be incredibly frustrated by the situation. Instead, the idea that I belong to the human race is the foundation of my upbringing, and I realize that I cannot be easily defined by what my skin looks like.
Many miles separate our family: life after your kids move out
My son and two daughters have grown up to be delightful young adults, funny, thoughtful, affectionate. We have great times together. Problem is, we just don’t see each other all that often.
Dont Ever give Up Who you are for Enybody: Getting to know the man my father was
Even as adults, we are unable see our parents clearly because of the lingering distortions created by our childhood views of them. I am unable to separate who Daddy actually was as a person from the role he played in my earliest memories. I have not fabricated a filter to tint my perspective; I just don’t allow myself a critical vantage point.
Will “older parenthood” really upend American society?
Judith Shulevitz of The New Republic recently wrote a piece claiming the trend toward older parenting will “upend American society.” The article itself is long and comprehensive — Shulevitz discusses the rise of developmental disabilities and delays, men’s declining fertility, and genetic mutations — but definitely worth a read if you’re at all interested in genetics and fertility.