• Just Two: the New Reality for Empty Nest Couples

    Just Two: The New Reality for Empty Nest Couples

    As an empty nest couple with no grandchildren, my husband and I are rediscovering the joy of being “just two” again. So when we agreed to watch our children’s dogs for the weekend while both sets of kids were out…

  • If Parenting Had Do-Overs

    Being an empty-nest parent is like being a Monday morning quarterback. You find yourself looking back on a game you’ve already played, and analyzing what you could have done differently.  Prior to motherhood, I was a reasonably confident decision-maker. Parenting…

  • Anniversary card

    33 Lessons from Marriage

    Every anniversary is a milestone   Milestones mark significant points along a journey. In the case of marriage, the “milestone” anniversaries are generally the decades, or the quarter or half centuries. But I prefer to believe every anniversary is a…

  • Learning to paint

    Learning to Paint in the Blank Spots

    Lessons gleaned from preschoolers learning to paint “This is Ben,” said the teacher. “He is learning to paint in the blank spots on the page.”   I looked at the paint-smocked preschooler, who stood in front of the easel holding…