Grandfamilies: Three Ways to Remain Close When You’re Far

Dinosaur Stories with Ayden and Cadence. September 2008. As I write this week, I am thinking of one friend and heart-sister who is in the midst of moving far from one family of grandchildren, yet close to another. These changes claw at our grandparents’ hearts. Yet when it comes to grandparenting across the miles, creativity […]


Basket Case

The cross was enough–more than I ever expected or deserved. But He didn’t stop there. 10 His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, 11 according to his eternal purpose that he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. 12 In […]


Call It What You Will

Cousins: Vaite, Elaine, Mirimata. Tahiti, 2004. A friend and I chatted as we sipped coffee. The conversation soon tilted toward our children. As she updated me on a daughter’s family, she told me that she and her husband were instructed not to call the teenager who belonged to a son-in-law their grandson and that he was […]


Grandfamilies: Merry merry Christmas!

Christmas, 2009.  Christmas is a time of joy and peace and goodwill. Right? Right?  Honestly, most of us have experienced a Christmas celebration that included, at no extra cost, some snark. Some disappointment. Some ill will. And that’s just the dog. Odds are the people in your life, can, on a truly bad day, out-snark even […]


Grandfamilies: Build Something Together

  Rich and Ayden, Visiting Annie the Miniature Horse. Spring, 2007. Building Traditions Maybe we have already discussed this topic. If we have, then please understand that I am repeating myself because I feel so strongly about it. While you’re rolling along, being a parent or a grandparent or some other significant flavor of adult in […]