Adult Children

Mothering is filled with both blessings and pain. Not too long ago, one of my children was estranged from me. It was not how I envisioned a relationship with an adult child. At the time, I wasn’t completely sure where she was living and had no reliable way to contact her…

I am known for exposing the “elephant in the living room.” Those things everybody knows but nobody is talking about. Not every mother-daughter relationship reads like a Hallmark card, and our culture makes that a shameful secret to bear…

One of the best parts of getting older is the opportunity to build new adult relationships with children, grandchildren and next generation friends in our lives. They keep us young at heart and introduce us to all things hip, cool and fun – stuff we wouldn’t…

Some of us moms have a problem with our attachment to our children, to the point where the bond can become unhealthy. Can we love our children but not let their choices or behavior make us crazy? Is some detachment actually a good idea?

Most parents of adult children assumed (or hoped) their offspring would be independent at some point after age 18. Yet, many parents today continue to support their children financially. Parents from the Baby Boom generation (1946-1963) most often fall…

During the current pandemic, I find it relaxing to watch Army Wives before I go to bed, and I’ve noticed that, in every episode someone says, “I’m sorry.” This TV show being a soap opera (albeit a high-class one), the apology is always…

It is said that once a mother, you are always a mother. However old your son or daughter may be, they are always your children. This may be right, but it is a blessing and a curse. Most of us cannot escape it. This realisation came home to me…

As I look back on my 65 years, to say that my life did not turn out the way I expected would be an understatement. I wonder how many of us would be honest enough to say the same. I approached both marriage and motherhood with incredible idealism…

Every parent hopes their children will have close relationships with one another as they age. It’s comforting to know that as you age, they have each other to count on (and even complain to about you). However, as siblings grow older, their relationships…

Martin Luther said, “You cannot keep birds from flying over your head, but you can keep them from building a nest in your hair.” It is a thought that has a lot in common with Alcoholics Anonymous and Buddha. They all believe that there…