Tag Archives: children

Huggable Ivy

After a terrible year (I was attacked in my home then suffered through a difficult divorce), my elderly parents visited and helped me pull the ivy that had swallowed my backyard. My father said, “Don’t let that take over again, … Continue reading

Posted in Gardening | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Utility Challenge

Take on the great Utility Challenge. Pull out your utility bills and make your older kids an offer. If they’re able to reduce monthly cost by 15 percent, you’ll split the savings with them. You’ll be amazed by how quickly … Continue reading

Posted in Reflections | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Tough Conversations

To be human is to have fears. To be a parent is to have fears. But that doesn’t mean my fear is always well placed. Instead of thinking, I fear having this conversation with my child, I try to think, … Continue reading

Posted in Reflections | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Tension Between Adult Children and Their Parents

I’m a grown millennial. My parents are aging. Unfortunately, I don’t have much in common with them. I live nearby and they want me to visit them every week. They’re disorganized and I like to be organized. They don’t plan … Continue reading

Posted in Reading | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Don’t Say We Can’t

“Why aren’t you married?” my partner and I are frequently asked. After all, we’ve been a couple for 25 years, shared a mortgage, and his grandchildren see me as a second granddad. Does it take a marriage license to lend … Continue reading

Posted in Reflections | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment