Grandfamilies: Disrupted by Spells of Unanticipated Joy

Lala initiates a tissue-tossing frenzy as she opens birthday gifts. Carly and Cadence assist while Elaine and baby Sawyer watch the action from the corner. January 2011. Last weekend I committed to keeping an eye out for joy. I was tired of meeting challenges and being prepared for hardship. I claim this good God, see, and He not […]


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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 […]


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Who Are You Talking To?

Baby Carly, Rachael, Kevin. Christmas, 2008. Not talking, actually. Parenting. Who are you parenting to? Or who are you grandparenting to? This question differs from who are you parenting?  or who are you grandparenting? I’m thinking audience. Specifically, I am wondering if our acts of parenthood or grandparenthood serve as a report card to our own parents.  Maybe at […]


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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 […]


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Grandfamilies: Play to Their Strong Suits

These Two Share A Bright Future As Strategists. Ayden and Cadence. May 31, 2009. What would happen if we took all the energy we poured into helping our loved ones conquer their weaknesses, and instead focused on encouraging them to develop their strengths? My place of business is organized this way, and it isn’t a stretch […]


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