Q03

Think about a major milestone that happened with your family this past year. How has this affected you?

A major milestone this year was being together as a family for Daniel's wedding. It was the first time in 12+ years that Lauren and I got to be with all of our honorary first cousins in one place--Cassidy, Kai, Daniel, Joshua, Courtney, and Christina. I got to meet their children and partners, most of whom I'd never met before, and they got to meet Theo as well as Kiana, Kai, and Kamaya. Side note: I sat next to Christina's J6-er husband during dinner, and while we are obviously at opposite ends of the political spectrum (not that politics came up), I took it as an opportunity to humanize him and to remember that at the end of the day, he and I are each humans who care deeply about our families. That was profound in its own way. I got to dance with Theo, my parents, Kristy, Aunt Carol, Felicia and Blan, and Donna and Rich to super fun Latino music as well as pop hits. I met Joshua's partner and got to see more of his personality than I ever have before. Cassidy and I had a bittersweet moment of missing our grandpas at big milestones like this and talking about how our elders live on in us and are always with us. We crammed all of our first cousins, their partners, and kiddos into one mega photobooth shot that I will always treasure! I'll never forget how it felt to see four generations of my loved ones all together, outside under the stars, laughing freely in the warm wind.

Boundaries with mom--her email's been blocked since she wouldn't lay off with a "confrontation" she felt compelled to have with me (and also emailed David and dad!) a few months back. Three weeks ago she WALKED OUT EARLY from cousin Myla's wedding, without saying goodbye, presumably because she was so wounded by my cold behavior (as I would be, if I had her knack for forgetting how we ended up at the present pass). Haven't talked to her since. Also, dad and my step-mother both shown their true colors when she eavesdropped on his and my therapy call and then confronted me about it, and when I complained to him about it and explained my reasons at length, our conversation ended with him basically saying, "No comment." (Oh, started therapy with dad. I've been attending without him since his hip surgery, but I think it's time to get him involved again. No reason I should still be the only person doing the actual emotional work involved in healing this broken family!)

My paternal grandmother, Emuna, died unexpectedly in October 2025 while I was on the second to last day of a silent meditation retreat. I had gone on retreat to mark my 40th birthday. I turned 40 in silence, surrounded by around 100 other people who were also in silence. I had gone partly to reflect on how I wanted to enter my forties, but the way I actually entered them was through grief, family, and presence. I had imagined emerging from the retreat and sharing everything I had experienced, seeing friends and family, and consciously marking my transition into a new decade. Instead, one of the retreat staff handed me a note telling me that my grandmother had died in Israel. I collapsed in tears. After days of silence, I felt incredibly open and accessible to the grief. There wasn’t much distance between receiving the news and feeling it in my body. I had not expected her to die, and suddenly the ending of the retreat became something completely different from what I had imagined. I broke silence to call Abba and Michael and immediately started trying to get to Israel. I finished the retreat on Friday, went to the library in San Rafael where I read some of my birthday messages, came home, packed, and flew to Israel Saturday morning. Somewhere in that transition I wrote a eulogy. By Sunday I was standing in Israel delivering it at my grandmother’s funeral and then sitting shiva with my family. The experience felt like a very literal lesson in being present with what life actually gives me instead of the experience I had planned. I had spent eight days meditating around my 40th birthday, perhaps imagining that I would emerge with some wisdom about entering a new decade. Instead the practice became immediately useful. There was no ceremonial re-entry into my life. There was grief, an airplane, a eulogy, family, and shiva. It also gave me an opportunity to speak up clearly about needing Michael with me. I wanted him to come to Israel, and he did. It wasn’t easy. He was trying to work while also being present for shiva and meeting members of my family and community in an emotionally intense setting. There were moments when that tension was hard on our marriage. But I’m glad I asserted that I wanted my husband beside me rather than convincing myself that I could handle it alone. The hardest part was watching Abba sink further into his depression after losing his mother. For the last several years, I have been learning how to love him without taking responsibility for his emotional life. Last year I wrote about trying to maintain that boundary by calling him every Friday while resisting the impulse to manage his depression for him. Losing Emuna tested that boundary again. I could grieve with him and love him without making his grief mine to fix. I’m grateful for how emotionally available I was to the whole experience. I didn’t try to make the death meaningful or turn it into the ending I had imagined for my retreat. I was able to let the experience interrupt me. In retrospect, that may have been a more appropriate way to enter my forties than whatever transition I had planned for myself.

Seeing my daughter start to feed herself and communicate more clearly has helped me see that brighter days are really ahead.

Major Milestone. Well my kids are having babies and that is changing our lives. Amy wants to spend an afternoon and early evening with each grandchild and this eats up our evening together as a couple. She is unwilling to change this. The milestone for me is that I decided that I am simply not going to go along with this. I don' t want to spend 4-5 evenings a week with g kids. Another milestone may be that I have been told by Dr Roth, a neurologists on brain function and sleep to 1. no coffee, 2. No Chocolate after noon, 3. Go to sleep at 10pm, 4. Set alarm for 6:30 and don't look at clock before then, 5. No naps during the day. I think that these 5 things may change the way that I sleep and also interact with Amy. Some regulation in my sleep behavior might be good for me and Amy.

Mom and Dad moved into an independent living community. They said that just like Ema and Poppi they are going to do things BEFORE they need to do them. They are having what seems like, the time of their lives. They are truly each other's best friend and love spending time together. Even Dad has become a social butterfly. This is a good thing. It is taking some effort on my part to not have Mom always available to chat on the phone. I know, however, if I really need her she will always be there.

I am glad my brother's wife is pregnant. I am delighted she will be delivering this December. It takes the pressure off of me and my wife to have a child - and it also shows me how my parents might not even be as delighted if I did so as I thought they'd be.

My sister had her baby! I have a nephew! This time last year, I found out (from someone else in the family) that she was pregnant, and my answer to this question at the time was how much that killed me. Now a year later, he's adorable and I get regular photos of him. Something I would not have imagined a year ago. I wouldn't have imagined hearing from her at all, let alone getting updates about my little nephew. I've processed how it feels -- all the grief of estrangement and a difficult sibling/family relationship -- and at the moment, I feel glad.

my parents filed for divorce in august of 2025. i guess that’s not technically “this past year”, but its effects have seeped into everything i know. the dynamic is permanently shifted. this needed to happen long ago, but that doesn’t change how cracked i feel now.

My sister had a procedure on her esophagus and had a reaction where she had chest pains afterwards (she went to ER and is okay), but I didn't know about it until a few days later. Felt like a very irresponsible sibling for not having stayed in that loop with her. And the thought of her being "gone" was a real wake-up call…and frightening.

My son Kyle has been dead 10 years. I am amazed at how well I am able to carry my grief, but was also amazed at how much grief was still there, just beneath the surface, when we hosted his memorial event. I cried more for him this year than in several years, which felt good.

Gabriel se fue a Irlanda. Creo que el estar sola con mis padres ha sido divertido, me unió más a ellos verlos como hija única y entenderlos desde otro ángulo de la vida. Pero tener a mis dos hermanos lejos, el que tu familia se separé, es de las cosas más díficiles que alguien puede vivir. Perder la cercanía, los pequeños momentos en la cotidianidad es como perder pequeños tesoros que tenías escondido en tus bolsillos. Pero ha sido una prueba de unidad, creo que la distancia separá lo que tiene que separar y une invisiblemente los lazos de manera más fuerte. Me deprimí mucho al verme sola y al sentir que perdía partes de mí, pero estoy tan agradecida y orgullosa de ellos. Y con el tiempo entendí que la distancia no me quita el amor de ellos, más bien lo expande de maneras que nunca pensé posible.

My Mom died almost two years ago. So this past year we marked the first anniversary of her death. It's been hard not to be able to talk to her every day. I miss her so much. Sometimes at random moments, my brain still reminds me to call her. That's hard. I read Carla Fernandez' Renegade Grief: A Guide to the Wild Ride of Life After Loss. The book helped me to find creative and meaningful ways to stay connected to my mother. I placed her hat and gloves on the bookcase in our entry way so that we see them when we enter and exit our apartment. Sometimes I place my hands on her gloves. On the first anniversary of her death, we gathered at my brother's. He made homemade pizza the way she used to make it which is a little different than the way he makes it. My niece made her peanut butter cookies. We told stories about her. That was nice. I also wrote poems about her and shared them with some family members. Spending time in nature and time writing poetry have been helpful. The collection of a few of my Mom's things in one place is also surprisingly helpful. Grief is still hard though. Missing her is hard. Her youngest sister, my Aunt Mary, died this spring. I've made an effort to text her daughter often, knowing how she's grieving. That's been a nice connection. We text each other pictures of beautiful things we see on our walks and check in on each other and sometimes text about our Moms and our grief.

I think of all the brushes with mortality and the drama of the body this year as brought. Like a set of things that make this year of being 56 feel like one big milestone. I think about S & D both finding out about cancer about the same time, S & R having heart attacks in their 60s. Chosen family & birth family - some real s*^$ happening. It all has invited me to go deeper into my ground truth of life. Love means loss - now or in the future. With that I try to be present with more love, more truth.

Wow yes: I managed to move a fiercely independent, and disabled, family member to my town so it's a minor logistical matter to continue supporting them. No more rental cars. No more train rides. No more hotel rooms and staying in nearby towns with friends (though we agreed we need to keep meeting like this, so that will continue). Seeing my family member navigate new geographies, neighborhoods, services, light, temperatures, people, cultures, histories, brings all of those things to life for me as well. I am grateful to have torn myself to pieces for this move. I'm grateful to witness a newcomer's discoveries.

Oh man. Well, I've loved my chosen family immensely. My family family is still dealing with the awfulness of my fathers FTD and all the court cases and lawsuits. I've had to take on a lot of work and responsibility. We also had to sell our beach house, which was our home that I thought we'd have forever, with our kids and grow old there. But love my niece and any time we can get together.

My second brother announced that he is having his first child this year. I feel a mixture of excitement for him, as well as sadness and envy that my life is not on the same track right now.

I turned 60 this year. I expected to feel a shadow of time passing me by but I just enjoyed the day and the celebration with family and friends. I don't feel old, I don't mind being older but there is still so much yet to come.

My youngest graduated from high school, and although I still have step-kids in school, it has made me re-evaluate my role as a mother and how I fit into my kids' lives now.

KRASH moving to NC. Crazy emotions of missing Korr. He is very special to me. Falling out with stair project and Ryan. So disappointing how lack of communication effected that.

My daughter had her bat mitzvah last December and there were elements that combined with some of her natural growth in middle school that just felt like I was raising an adult. There's more self-assuredness and assertiveness from her than there was before (also, snark and attitude). But it's also nice because I can tell that she's trying/wanting to take more ownership of being Jewish for herself by joining the USY board and going to more events, being a madrakhim in Hebrew school, and so on. As a Jewish parent, I'm proud of her choosing to cultivate her Jewish identity in a secular (Christian hegemonic) world.

Moving to home infusion and getting all three of us on a regular schedule. We are working to normalize our medical complexities, and all of us are learning how to live our regular lives with our conditions. Moving to in home infusion was a part of that. We have infusion routines now. Bruno cuddles on everyone's laps. The boys trade computers back and forth and yell about video games. My mom bakes brownies. I catch up on accounting. Foster works from home. Breakfast from Alexander's, lunch from McDonald's or Sweetgreen... We're all here, we're all together.

My little brother got engaged! It makes me feel really old!

Last year, I self-published two books. One for survivors navigating life after an abusive relationship. The other is for the survivor's circle (family, friends, neighbors, employers) to support the victim. What I realized is I was living those two books in real-time. I think it affected me in a good way. It helped my healing and let me know I am capable of anything even in the midst of chaos and pain.

I feel like my parents have really come into a golden era in retirement. They’re travelling heaps, volunteering, socialising like crazy and really making the most of this golden window of having their health, wealth and being sound in mind and body. I’m really proud of them. For a while Mum especially threw herself into too many things, and she’s since moderated a bit, which I think is a good thing. But I love that they’re both so active and engaged, not to mention really involved in their grandkids’ lives. It’s a really special time for them and for us, and I’m loving the quality time I get to have with them.

It was interesting to have our 15-year wedding anniversary while we were on a trip with friends that both my son and husband hated and complained about constantly (Type 2 fun), and my spouse's depression was at an all-time high. It has been deeply hard, and I have been angry and at times sad about what has been lost. I am also grateful for it, and have to laugh at the irony.

Did mum get her aged care package this year? That's been a major milestone but comes with it's own challenges as I help her navigate it. And of course my brother is pretty useless being so far away - it becomes pretty much my sole responsibility.

I am dealing right now with the eventuality of placing my Dad in a care facility. He has Alzheimer's, and will eventually need more care than my stepmom or I can provide on a daily basis. The actual committing to a care facility hasn't yet happened, but it ALMOST did, and that is the milestone. My stepmom sort of short-circuited recently on the receipt of some concerning health news, and impulsively and emotionally made moves to send Dad out of the house for care without discussing it with me. She eventually called me, which spurred me into action, to pump the brakes and give us all time to find calm and make decisions based on facts, not emotions. It was good because it has forced us to look at the eventuality in the eye, but getting to this Milestone didn't have to involve so much exhausting emotion!

We figured out full time jobs and routines and drop off and pick up for two kids at two different schools very early in the morning without arriving late very much. (7:35-7:45 drop off for eldest!) I’m proud of completing the required payments for the PSLF student loan forgiveness program. Grateful to have husband sharing our finances and chipping in a little each month. No more private school tuition! This fall marks the first time both kids are in the same school, a free Montessori public school! With no more student loans and free schooling for kids (except aftercare) opened up possibilities for me to consider a more realistic work situation under 40 hours. This September I switched to part-time school based therapist at same school. Have Mondays and Fridays off from work. So far that time has been used for sick time with kids, fun school days off with kids, sick days with kids, self care, family and household responsibilities and yes unfortunately work. It’s not a perfect arrangement but so far feels much better than I had before. Other milestones worth mentioning: parents’ 50th wedding anniversary, Grandma’s 98th birthday and niece high school graduation and off to college. All these events brought us together for an early summer vacation on the Pacific Northwest.

After years of gentle but firm coaxing, my brother got a job for the first time in decades. He has made an amazing recovery from alcoholism and joblessness - the progress has been slow and uneven, and forced me to really increase my capacity for patience and restraint. Nonetheless I was able to keep the lines of communication open while resisting the role of enabler and always pointing the way towards a better life. Hoping he continues to make major strides in turning hs life around in the coming year.

A major milestone… the triplets are now 15, Melissa is 50.My brother turned 55. I went on a year long sabbatical, my second. My aunt died. I was struck by how nonchalant my mother was at the death of her sister and conversely, how almost hyperbolical my sister was —“ Oh, we had such a deeply beautiful, spiritual time thinking about Michael and Belein and we came to the conclusion that we must spend more time with Michael. “My sabbatical made my brain work in a different way and I became more rested and calm. It was also clear to me that Nature is my steadfast elixir. I must be close to it.

we moved back in together. at first it was awful and i never knew what i would come home to, now i think it’s helped me to set better boundaries, learn focus, and grow a thicker skin. somehow us not matching up that well as a couple (how did i not realize that until after we were married?) has actually helped me to focus on what i care about and what i can help happen in the world, and to let go of his hand and do my own thing when he’s not being a good partner. and our nieces and nephews are now tweens and teens. i miss them. they are focusing on friends and activities and social things, appropriately but i miss their silliness and availability.

I moved back home, and I love to hate it. I hate this house and the trauma it has bestowed upon me. Everytime I walk through the doors, I'm reminded on what my parents chose over me. I love this house for housing me as a child. It was built by my grandfather, passed down to my family, and likely passed down to me. I wish I had enough money to move out.

There were some family losses in the past year, and it made me feel even more isolated and afraid.

The kids are gone. We are a family no more. How has it afffected me? My entire identity is shattered. I feel abandoned and unimportant. I understand its my trauma coloring the event, and that they very much love me, but it's hard to keep in contact with them and that reality is impactful. I have had to throw my heart into something new to refind my purpose and not slip into sadness and depair. That all being said, I am learning to let go and shed this identity I had wrapped myself up in. I can see through reading my past 10Qs that the family issue has always been a void for me I’ve tried to fill. Well, universe sent me a clear message: I can’t fill it. The void is within me, the healing within. Bryan and the kids were never quite aligned with me. I tried to make it all fit. I’ve always been trying to make it all fit. No more making things fit that I shouldn’t. I can see the kids for who they are - pieces of me, but I’m not their mom and they are not my responsibility anymore. I will always, ALWAYS be there for them and they a part of my life, but it’s never going to be like THAT. I didn’t become a mom, period. My family is toxic, period. I have a lot of abandonment and avoidance, that’s just what IT IS, and I can choose to live the way I want to now moving forward. I am going to just be ME.

I'm answering this just before my 50th birthday, and just after my husband's. Aside from the regular peri/menopausal anxiety etc., I've spent a lot of the past year thinking about What The Future Will Look Like. It's mainly been anxiety-inducing for me, rather than exciting or generative; I want whatever comes next to feel open, chosen with intention. I am working on holding both the anxiety and the excitement. Also, our daughter's last year at camp was a major milestone! I was inspired by how happy she was, and how she's able to reflect on going from letters home begging us to pick her up early to calling her bunkmates her sisters. In a family dynamic where I often second-guess my choices, making sure that she kept going back to this camp feels like a parenting win for me.

As I have mentioned before, all the things we achieved together for Dan and Ezra were as major as achievements get. I feel lighter and less responsible for Dan's survival.

My husband and I renewed our vows in the same place we got married 20 years ago. We were surrounded by our closest friends and our 2 daughters. This made me feel comforted in tumultuous times for our country and this world.

I've had to adjust to the concept of being a divorcee. It started very difficult ("This is so stereotypical! I don't want people thinking I'm damaged goods!") but it's getting easier to see the good sides of the situation.

My mom’s cancer has come back. It scares me. I feel helpless and afraid to loose her.

My family came together over the past year. It hasn't been easy to blend this little family, and it might never be as smooth a unit as I'd like, but we are learning what works and doesn't work, what we need and what we only thought we needed.

I guess the milestone would be similar to the first question: the passing of my other mother, Elena. But I think another milestone for me has been reconnecting with Carolina and having a beautiful relationship with her. I think that’s something I would like to keep. I don’t know if that technically counts as a milestone, but that’s the one I’m going to go with.

My brother turned 60 and decided to go on a long overseas trip during the holidays with his family. This left me to handle all the Christmas stuff for my mom, who is sick. She probably doesn't have that many more Christmases, and I was pretty resentful of him for the choice he made. It made me feel like I can't really trust him and his family to show up for her. I'm the primary person, but I'm still feeling unsupported by him during this difficult time. I've been doing some serious self care and am handling the situation well, but it's not easy.

This past year, my sister got married and she is truly happy with her marriage. Her husband is a good man and treats her right. Their partnership is inspiring and refreshing. It does make me reconsider my thoughts of marriage. However, I do not yet see that for myself - and that’s okay.

The cliches are all true - having a kid made my heart love more than I ever thought possible.

Major milestone: my father's death. This has affected my relationship with my mother more than anything else. Suddenly she is left alone at 88 years old on the farm, and my siblings and I are trying to rally around her, but we all live far away. I am talking to her every other day now, which was not the case in the past, and I am also making plans to visit.

My Mom turned 90 in July. It made me aware of her increasing fragility and that she is affected by age in a way that she hasn't been until quite recently - she is more forgetful, less cognitively with it, more easily confused. It's so hard to lose her in this way, and yet I'm so grateful for the time to be with her.

This has been an interesting year of ups and downs. My brother married his partner (yay!). My mother turned 88 years of age. I turned 65 and the government gave me a great present of Medicare (as a self-employed person, Medicare is saving me a fortune in health insurance premiums). But I have had recovery from major back surgery and breast cancer surgery and treatment during this year. Frankly, I’m ready to let this year go. I want us all to have better health (and I say this while my mother is waiting for discharge for the third trip to the hospital in a month).

My youngest started kindergarten. Watching him grow into this moment has been such a joy. It felt like a shift into what is next for us as a family- no more childcare payments, no more daycare coordinaton, there is a newness in it that feels nice.

One big one is our son got engaged! Wedding is a few years out but it feels right to introduce her as his fiancé. It hasn't really changed anything for us - we've known that she's the one and the plans they're making are in that direction. It feels weird to consider that we'll be "in-laws" and potentially grandparents someday. And they're recently decided to adopt a kitten! It's been such a sweet and enjoyable journey so far!

Middle child started college, youngest child got back into education after a massive fight with the sen system and not attending for 3 years. All kids growing up leaving me thinking about my future and what I want to do.

My parents finally sold Llys Madian which made me very sad but relieved for them that that is a source of stress that has been removed for them. It was both a lengthy process and then very quick and smooth so I’m relieved for that. But I’m sad to lose the place that has been such an important part of my childhood and my life with Chris. There will be other places though and it was the right thing to do. The main thing is that everyone is still alive and we all seem to be trudging along well.

My mother is about to get married, after years of saying she would never do it again. I believe she's finally getting over the shame of multiple divorces, and I am proud of her for taking the risk to invite all of us to witness her choosing marriage again. I don't know how it's going to go, but it will be a milestone.

Major milestones for me: Losing my job (March), starting a business (June), completing my 50 adventures (August). I’ve become more independent and more bold. I have greater control over my time, and I know what I am worth (though I am having trouble convincing clients to pay for it)

Grandbaby!! Totally different priorities; my wants are much less of a consideration now.

hip surgery and recovery move so close up to one's mortality and see the fragility and vulnerability of life See friends going through hard times of loss

I am continuing the healing process with H. At times, frustrating but I do think we are finally making progress.

We welcomed a beautiful new baby. He's sweet and funny and my daughters adore him. I wasn't sure about a third child and not I know our family was not complete without his sweet presence.

Senior year in HS! I just need to push a bit further to get through first semester grades as I know things will all be passed, but then there is college and not sure how that is going to play out but trying not to stress about it all.

My first husband who was the father of my children and from whom I was divorced for many years passed away from pancreatic cancer. It was very difficult for my children. But it felt very good to celebrate his life and to support them through this loss.

This is redundant, but having a second kid has affected my family positively. I feel like a much more confident parent to a baby, knowing I kept my other kid alive this long. Also, the fact that Adrienne started TK this year has been great. I love that I had the chance to be more involved in her schooling this year, compared to all the years she was at ChildTime. Being in public TK also makes it cheaper to pay for childcare as she now does LPCC instead of Childtime. Additionally, being in LPCC means that Adrienne gets to spend more time with Alana and Jonas!

I helped my boyfriend while he dealt with peripheral neuropathy from Long Covid. This reaffirmed my goal to live in the now and not wait for the “right time”! It taught me to be patient and kind, even when I was frustrated.

Last November we decided to try for a baby. After taking some time off to grieve and heal after the miscarriage in 2024, we felt ready to take the next step. After trying for six months, we decided to pursue assisted fertility through IUI. It's been a difficult journey that has altered my life in so many more ways than I could've ever anticipated. So many early 5:30 a.m. wake-ups for appointments, blood draws, internal ultrasounds, medications, awful side effects, heightened emotions, anger, confusion, not being able to travel far, and extended periods of time. It's been such a difficult time. We're preparing to begin the process for IVF, which will be even more difficult and invasive. But we're trying to hold on to hope that one day this will all be worth it.

I went on birthright and met some amazing people that I can now call family, I started a new job, I got engaged, and put an offer down on our first home. It has made me happier than I ever thought I could be.

My brother shows no sign of colon cancer. This is an incredible blessing, to have him still with us after the stage of disease he had. I know what he went through was truly awful and I wish he hadn't had to endure it. I admire his spirit. I think of him a bit differently now, and again, I'm super grateful to have him with us.

My daughters entered high school and started participating in a sport. For the first time, they are doing something I know nothing about. And they are have the social support I hoped would bloom. I feel a major goal has been achieved: preparing my kids to thrive without me.

The boys are brothers through and through. It validates our family.

My Mom turned 90. She's an inspiration for guide posts for graceful aging. She lives in an assisted living community where she has had to continually reform her community due to the death of some friends and others moving in with family. And she keeps herself busy by volunteering in the community, playing scrabble and mahjong with friends, and taking advantage of weekly cultural offerings. All of which is food for thought as we contemplate retirement and what is means to age well.

Major milestone was finally retiring, at end of January, 2026. I turned 74 this past November, and am lucky enough to remain healthy enough to work and to travel. I'm now working 2 days a week, which is ideal. I also had a nice time with my younger brother when I was in Chicago; not a major milestone, but it doesn't always happen. I have submitted an application for my older brother to get into subsidized housing, but he needs to submit the benefit letter, and hasn't done so. I continue to worry about him, especially his housing situation.

I turned 40. This is my dreaded number, because "it all goes downhill from here". My health has been really impacted within the last two years, and even moreso this past year. I FEEL the change. I've even sought a new provider to help me through this transition.

Bubbe passed away at 97.5 years old in May. She was my last remaining grandparent, so it really was a loss of that generation. Bubbe was such a large figure in my life, too. Even though, for the past few years, she wasn't doing as well and was very limited physically, her place in my childhood and early adulthood looms large, and overall in a positive way. She was such a force, and everyone was family to her. I am fortunate that she has left us with such a robust dedication to family and such a large family with whom to share that. Losing my last grandparent has also made me reflect on the others I lost earlier, and the next generation to come. But most of all, I think of Bubbe, her never-ending positivity echoed in her radiant smile, and her love for everyone around her.

Jenna’s 26 th birthday. Wistful Anxious Ok

I turned 40. Reaching 40 made me grateful to be alive and resolute that although my husband is dying, I have to find a way to live after him because I know I am lucky and he is not. And he deserves and deserved better and more, and if he can't have what he deserves, than I will live for him and make him proud of me. At 40, I did not imagine I would be caring for my dying husband. We had 2 years together of fun and laughter before he got diagnosed.

I separated from my long term partner, it has affected me by showing me the many ways in which I haven't been taking care of or showing up for myself.

Liora's bat mitzvah was a big one and comes to mind. mostly just thinking about life, ticking clock, realizing that our time is finite and so valueable. i think now more than every previously i've been aware of my time and want to make changes to take advantage of the time i have.

My AFAB child came out to me as non-binary and feeling like a boy rather than a girl. I'm an old lesbian, so my first reaction was to ask if they've read any gender studies or feminist books? Have they considered the anti-femme and anti-female tendencies of androgynous gender expression? In hindsight it was hilarious! Currently, the thing that bothers me the most is that the new name they want is corny. At least it's not Aiden, Brayden, Jaxxon, or Hunter.

We celebrated my dad’s 99th birthday. It was wonderful to bring the whole family together. But bittersweet in that he is significantly slowing down, as are some of my siblings. Had to wonder if this might be our last gathering as a full clan?

My sister and I bought a house with help from our parents. We're finally free of predatory and exploitative landlords, in the town we love, in a neighborhood we love. I'm trying very hard to remember that and revel in it, even on the days when home ownership comes with sticker shock.

My sister had a baby! It's been very exciting welcoming a new member of the family and becoming an uncle. I see the joy it's brought to my sister and my parents, it's lovely.

Cancer. The milestone is my own cancer. Over and over again, I cannot think of anything else but this. And to describe its effects... it's too much. I am trying so hard to focus on today today, but the larger picture and the empty universe of possibility is overwhelming.

Since my mother's hospitalization in early Feb. to her death in mid March, my family and I have become closer, tighter ... aware not only that we are full orphans, but also that we are all we have left. I have seen improvement in my brother's mental health, and an eagerness in all of us to stay healthy and united.

I started seeing a psychotherapist twice a week. I hadn't done any therapy for over 30 years. It has been good for me to talk about my feelings of frustration, sadness and anger about my social life and continued inability to find a steady girlfriend. It keeps me from getting too depressed and makes me feel like someone is really listening to me. I'm able to play songs during the session that bring me to tears, which nothing else usually does.

After our first three great-grandsons were born last year, this year our fourth great-grandson Cillian was born this year on Aug 2. Also, another one of our six grandchildren is getting married on Sept 26. I was so looking forward to traveling to the US from Switzerland where I live to celebrate with her and to see our all members of our growing family. I’m devastated that I cannot take the trip because my husband’s health is too fragile for me to leave him. Even though I’d arranged for a grand-niece to come here and stay with him during my absence, he told me that I’m his rock and he needs me to be here even if she comes to support us in his care. Our devotion to each other truly has deepened as we face an unknown future. Our love is solid as a rock.

C's birth and M turning three! Becoming a mother of two children. I am realizing my answers will be shorter this year because I'm too short on time and have too much brain fog to really dig into some of the questions. I hope to have more time and brain capacity next year..

I am the milestone. I turned 60 years of age, in good health and sound-ish 😆 mind. Blessed and better.

I was at a total loss and my family intentionally ignored me. I hate them and want to move away and never see or hear from them again. Families that are enemies are abnormal. I don't want to go to counseling or work on it I want to be done with them

He stopped smoking weed which was huge and then started again which killed me and then stopped again… addiction is a rollercoaster and I want to be in my stories and my jiurnies and not let me loved ones journeyed take over my life

My daughter has gotten ready for her bat mitzvah. It's been a joy to watch her investment in it. Also annoying to answer her questions about party planning. But mostly a joy to see her earnest approach to studying and preparing.

My oldest granddaughter became a Bat Mitzvah. She read Torah, Haftarah and gave a D’var Torah and was amazing. It was also sad because of the loss of my husband, her Saba, 3 months prior.

Hm. DH got a job that he is very happy with. He is working as a shadow with kids at a local yeshiva, and it is very meaningful for him, since he too was a kid who didn't fit the academic mold. I'm happy for him. It's the first meaningful job he has ever had. Will see where it leads him. What else? Our eldest daughter started high school. She seems to enjoy it so far. I gave birth as a surrogate. It was alright. The only bad part was all the hormones I had to take and how it drove me nuts. I was unemployed for 4 5 months right after DH was unemployed for 8 months. Terrible for our finances. I finally got a new job and figured out that if the CCs are paid off, I can fit our budget. So our dear friend lent us 25k interest free so we can live within our budget. It's an amazing gift and we need everything to go right in order to survive. Any extra expense tips us over. And you know how full of emergencies life is. We haven't fixed our broken sink in months cuz I don't want to spend money. I did get to go to Eastern Europe where the fam is from with my aunt, where the ticket was paid by my brother. Big expense, but it's done.

No major milestones yet, however a lot of things are in motion. My middle kid was finally had his legal name change formalized, and is going in for surgery in October, and my youngest passed the civil service test for police officer and sheriff deputy and received canvas letters for 2 locations.

I've had to reconcile this year that despite the spirit of the season there are some relationships that will never be fixed no matter how much work you put into them. I spent all of 5785 and part of 5786 grieving the relationships that will never be the way I'd love for them to be, and realizing that I can't be the only one ever coming forward and twisting myself into knots for people who won't ever bother to take a single step forward to meet me and try to understand me. What that's meant for me is accepting, continuing to accept and sit in my grief when it shows up (because I think some relationships you won't ever get over), and realizing that my family is who I choose. I've developed more of a relationship with my nephew and my brother and sister-in-law, and I'm grateful that I have them even if my other family of origin relationships have largely fallen away.

Josh's knees are getting pretty bad. He had arthroscopic surgery on his second knee in January of this year and is taking off a year of hunting which is a huge deal for him. It makes me sad for him b/c being active and outdoors is a big part of his identity.

My marriage!!!!! I'm so excited to have married Noah. Celebrating our love with those we love and those who love us was so inspiring and made me feel whole

I adore that my youngest son is finally in school. He has come so far and he’s such a sweet boy. I’m so excited to see how learning and educational nurturing. Push him to new heights. I hope he’s appreciative of all the fun he gets to have at his fingertips.

May partner and his sone have joined our world. Its changed everything. Our family has grown overnight, and its been delightful. I love the way it feels to have my children and his close and happy. I love hearing the constat interaction of childern learning from each other how to be, instead of isolated begging for tv. There is more that we can appreciate in having a big family. I understand the value is beyond the selfishness of the "parents wanting kids", it feeds and builds society. When children play they learn how to live together and a society that appreciates difference and diversity cannot be formed effectively through education and media of single children. Those single and coupled children everywhere need to see variety. When they see how different a person can be within their own family, they can appreciate the depth and beauty of difference anywhere.

See my answer to question 1.

My family has had several major milestones this year. I am just about divorced, which is truly wonderful And because of that, my son and I were able to buy a house together. My mom died last month and my dad is 99 years old today. For a variety of reasons, it has been easier to accept my mom's death than I thought it might be. Every day with my dad is a miracle and I so appreciate that I get to have him this long.

My younger grandchild celebrated his bar mitzvah this past year. It was a lovely service and a terrific celebration. I was delighted, but at the same time it made me aware of the fact that I am now living my later years. And this is my last grandchild to reach this milestone. Bittersweet.

My parents moved into my grandfather's place after he died. It was so strange seeing their old house empty- the one I grew up in. They have made it their own. I like how accessible it is too, as a disabled person. I am glad they have somewhere they can age in peace.

I turned 70...second in line for patriarch status in my family.

I've made a lot of things this year for the first time alone. It made me feel like I'm strong enough and clever enough to do that.

Watching my aunt sink deeper into dementia has been difficult. Watching my 84 year old mom have to pick up the care duties has been even more difficult. Seeing my cousins be so hands off in their moms care is terrifying. I am concerned about if my own children will write me off and check out as I age. Me and my mom are very close. We are caring people. We are both aware that if the tables were turned the family would not step up for us as my mom is stepping up fir them. My mom lives locally as well as one of my aunts daughters. It's very hard to see an 84 year old woman doing what the daughter should be doing. The daughter will even call my mom and ask her to do stuff for my aunt. I wouldn't even mind if the tasks were shared. But they are not at all. It's been very hard to watch and very hard on my mom.

Colin and Jesse got married! It was beautiful and quirky and sometimes completely aggravating, but it was mostly beautiful and joyful and a total lovefest. It is so lovely how much Jesse appreciates being part of our family. I am so, so happy that Colin has such a loving partner. I was amazed at the depth of emotion Colin expressed in his vows, and in awe of the beautiful tributes his friends made to him and to them. To think that a few short years ago, I worried about his relationships - that he didn't have real friends, but he does! Bryan was outstanding as officiant. It was so wonderful to have so many people we love celebrate with us. I am delighted and happy and still basking. Also, Dave died. Technically, it was this year - Rosh Hashanah morning. His family, and mine, are forever altered.

My stepfather died this year. I miss him a lot.

My stepson entering high school and bringing with it school affiliated sports replacing travel sports (for the most part). We're still in the early stages of it, but getting to meet and interact with more parents in a social space.

My husband finally got on day shift. As far as I know, he'd been wanting to be on day shift for a while. It means our schedules line up much better, and we get to see each other more often. But I also know that it's a major stressor off my shoulders, which is why I hope he finds it as good as I do. When he worked nights, I got less sleep and I was angry all the time. He has much better sleep hygiene than I do, and I'm now more likely to go to bed at the same time he does because we now get up around the same time. And where before I felt like I had to wait up past the time that I should have been in bed, just to see him for a few minutes, but now I have a tendency to rise early instead. I feel more productive, I'm less likely to put things off until last minute, and my mood is better for it. Then again, maybe it's just the meds. :P

See answer number 1 regarding my mom’s death

Two major milestones happened with my family: My son graduated from college, and my daughter graduated from high school. She started her freshman year of college two weeks ago. I'm glad my son moved home because I can rebuild my relationship with him. It was extremely hard to leave my daughter at college because we are so close. I ended up crying a lot. I feel better now, and we text every day. We've also FaceTimed a lot.

My oldest son's senior year of high school is a weird milestone that seems to mean a lot, and also doesn't change much, because he's so independent, but also changes everything, because for him to transition to college or even any adulthood needs a lot of attention and money and communication. It's a lot - happy and sad - and I wish things were different for him, but he seems to be OK so maybe it's just me that wishes things were different? I'm not sure. I love him so much. I think he'll be ok, he just needs to get there. I like the young man he is, but I would like things or him to be different, too. Maybe it's me. I'm doing the best I can, and I know he knows that.

Michelle has been applying for positions within the company but not here. That means moving. We've lived here for more than 30 years. It's exciting and unnerving at the same time.

My health has not been great, and that has affected everything I do.

The major milestone is that my brother, sister, and mother all will become housing insecure in the next months. I have been helping my brother financially, but I can't fund everyone though this rough patch. I hope they all land on their feet, because I really want to visit them on the east coast...

I went no-contact with my brother. He was trying to get me to call him back after I was ducking his calls for a few days, so he texted me saying our mom had a heart attack. It was a lie, complete and total, just to get me to call him back. So I blocked him on everything. After a few months I decided to give him a chance, so I texted him about setting up a time to talk and he responded with venom and vitriol, so I blocked him again. I don't think he even understands why what he did was so fucked up. But he has been trying to make an appointment for us with a family therapist, which suggests that he wants to put in work to mend fences. I want to be open, but trusting him after this is so incredibly hard.

Morgan got married, Tristan flew a jet for the first time just the other day, and Mattigan moved to Texas less than a month ago -- the kids are all really grown and having milestones of their own that are certainly a part of our family but feel very particularly like their own milestones, more than "ours." The big turning point for me this year is scaling back in kids classes and pivoting to so many adult classes at Passion. Particularly Musical Theater, that's a big risk for me. I'm only just newly into that but just taking the leap to change this much is profound. I feel like my life is becoming more like my "dream" life and that makes me realize that I can be my "dream" self. What does that even mean? I'm going to find out!

Family has 2 meanings for me, my family at home, with my partner and the kid(s), and my family back in my home country, my dad and sisters and nieces and nephews. Family at home...no clear milestone, but again a lot of progress in terms of kid getting older and being more mature in many ways, which when tied to my healing means that I am much more relaxed when he is with us. I enjoy his company more and feel less distressed when he comes back to us, which has been a major change for all of us, for sure. Also feeling more like myself meant that my couple has been doing so so so good. It was never bad and I always felt so loved ans supported, but I can tell the relief he feels now that I am back to my almost normal. I am so proud of us for having been through the past years. Family back in home country didn't have major milestones either. Things are good in general. I am a bit more in contact with sister J and it's nice to have these easy, low stakes exchanges with her. I think the biggest thing has been the time spent with the twins and L over our holidays, how I finally got to play with them and have the energy and enthusiasm I wish I had since they were born but was not able to give. We played in the pool, played hockey, ping-pong, went shopping, spent very good quality time together. That really healed my heart.

Mom's cognitive medication infusion treatments have started and it's been a blessing to get all the siblings united in supporting her, we all just want her to have as many good years as she is still able to have, even though there's no reversal or cure for her condition

My son became involved in his first really serious long term committed relationship. It has surprisingly caused some anxiety in me as I know how much it can hurt if those things fall apart.

I wouldn’t say there have been any major milestones this past year. Laura and I are getting better at living together, but still with problems. We are trying to find one weekday each week to be together and that has been more consistent too. Those times are especially nice, as are the short vacations we’ve taken, because we spend much of that time experiencing new things and others. Witnessing together provides insight to each others sense of being.

I have had a number of jarring adjustments by moving to BC last year. My job has changed. Where and how I live has changed. I decided to sell my building instead of hope to go back one day. My sister in Ontario just got diagnosed with Cancer. I don't fully understand the impact yet. It is teaching me to value the individual moments that make up a life

Liza's student loans were finally forgiven! So happy and relieved for her. Proud of her determination. Palisades fire, Dex and Katrina evacuated. Worried, feeling helpless, grateful for Gina taking them in. Uncertainty about their future, but trusting it will work out.

Well, I turned 60. That was a big milestone, but not the big moment I'd thought it would be. I think the biggest milestone is happening today, as I write this, and that is my son moving to Austria to work on his master's degree. I'm filled with mixed emotions...happiness and excitement for him embarking on an adventure. Trepidation that something will go wrong and that he's a grown adult and there won't be much we can do; nervous and sad that it'll be some time before we see him again.

My mother reached for the first time in over a year on Mothers dayto let me know I hurt her, I let her know I was battling throat cancer. I hoped she would acknowledge it, but she was too caught up in her anger at me to say anything, since that day she hasn't attempted to speak to me again

One of the biggest milestones for our family this past year was the birth of my grandson, Henry. His arrival brought a great deal of joy, but it also made me more aware of the season of life I am entering. My children are grown, my parents are aging, and I am becoming more deeply rooted in my role as a grandfather. It has caused me to think more seriously about time, legacy, and the kind of presence I want to have in my family’s life. I want to be there as my grandchildren grow up. I also want to deepen my relationships with Jennifer and Chrissy and be someone my family can depend on without allowing that responsibility to become another form of striving. Henry’s birth reminded me that this next chapter may be less about what I accomplish and more about how fully I am present for the people I love.

I don’t know that it’s a milestone, but the birth of my two grandchildren has been a huge factor in changing the family dynamic for me. It’s been amazing to watch two of my children and the people that they partnered with to spend the rest of their life with being parents and enjoying it as much as I did and do and being a grandparent is the most amazing thing I’ve ever experienced in my life

My husband and I turned 70. It has really felt like something big and different and scary. Lots of change also with retirement.

Deaths, illnesses, and divorces reshaped the family. It is pretty much me and my daughter now. Still processing how this feels and what it means.

My mother continues to deteriorate. She no longer recognizes me and the minute I am out of her sight, she forgets I was there. I’m slow-mourning her. I get sad when I want to call and tell her something but she doesn’t understand language or how to use a phone. Sometimes I tear up as she slowly leaves the world of the living. I’m trying to hang on to save the mourning for when she physically passes.

So, we've gone a full year without George and I know my mom has strong moments where she misses him, but I've also seen her connect with her friends and build a new-ish life for herself on her own. We've spent a little more time together this year than in years past, and I anticipate that to continue.

My mother turned 85. We held a birthday party for her with all the grandchildren and great-grandchildren who live in this country (those who live overseas tuned in by video). I was glad to be able to celebrate this amazing woman, especially as I see her growing increasingly frail (mentally and physically) and know that we may not have a lot of years left with her.

Seeing the way, my mom has shown up for me during my pregnancy and during the early life of my son as his grandma has been incredible. This is much of a redemption story as she was very absent when I needed her as a young child. I have forgiven her for all of that, but I have not felt as close to her or in as much admiration of her as I do now and have during this pregnancy and birthing journey. Watching her be a grandma to my son and learning from her about how to care for babies has brought me to feeling so much closer to her and so grateful for her. For a long time I have sought a better relationship with her in my heart and mind. So this is the fruit of much labor and intention toward healing our relationship.

It's not a milestone but a circumstance: our youngest is railing against their Dad for what they perceive as not ideal when growing up. I struggle with this disconnect between them and want to fix it, knowing that I can't and that it is not my place to do so.

My son graduated from university. I am very excited but also nervous. I’m not sure what the stage of this life means where he’s going. When he was in school, things are much better to find now he’s graduating working and things are far more open and not defined and there’s a lot of uncertainty.

I helped my my mom move into a smaller house. It has made all the difference.

Our son's older boy had his Bar Mitzvah and it was a truly wonderful occasion. That being said, I couldn't help but feel like an outsider. Compared to the higher visibility of our daughter-in-law's parents, we were more in the background. My feelings were hurt. The occasion also brought up all of my feelings of disappointment that our daughter has become almost completely secular. Our youngest grandsons had never been inside a synagogue. What should have been a joyous life cycle event was tinged with sadder aspects.

There have been several major milestones in our family this year. First, Chris and Tim’s expansion of the gatehouse is daunting and exciting at the same time. They have successfully applied for a grant that will fund at least part of the changes they want to make to the building. Another milestone has been Jenny also getting established in Morris, New York. She is actively involved in the arts community and a crucial member of Chris and Tim‘s Gatehouse team. One more milestone has been Emily‘s very clear desire to be recognized as “they“. Being non-gendered is a milestone not just for her, but to me, for all of us. These milestones are all related to specific journeys that our family is experiencing individually and collectively.

We were together on the first year anniversary of our daughter's death to a skydiving accident. She died doing what she loved and kind of refused to acknowledge the ever-present danger of the hobby she was obsessed with. We all miss her so much, but gathered at her gravesite from 3 different states and camped out with a canopy and chairs, just saying prayers and sharing memories of her for the afternoon. The love in our family sustains me at all times, as does the memory of what a wonderful loving person she was.

I was diagnosed with Mantle C Lymphoma. For a few weeks before my diagnosis was complete it was hard on my family. I personally didn't worry that much but it has made me more conscious of how I put everyone else' needs ahead of my own and that I need to stop putting off fulfilling some my life's goals

I fear I answered this one Day 1, my late grandfather's passing. I recognize how impactful that part of this year has been now. Now my siblings are both in high school, which we haven't been together in school for a decade. I think we are a ll growing as a family and sadly I see the light at the end of the tunnel now. There is a world beyond them, regardless of our love and (somewhat) respect. As a 16 year old in America I have learned that family in a nest best jumped from as soon as possible, and family is a nostolgic reminder of who/what you came from. Interesting how the things adults said would happen actually do.

Audrey passed away, which was difficult, sad, and monumental: but family and community came together. But somehow bigger, because chronic, progressive, depressing, and almost entirely on my shoulders was moving my dad across the country to Assisted Living ( then to Memory Care) in my town. I’ve been absolutely floored and exhausted. Alone and sad. Figuring out how to go forward while taking care of myself, step by step.

Death is not usually thought of as a milestone but it is the most major event of this past year. And the person who was the glue, my mother, is one of the ones who passed. Who will take on that role now?

Divorce of course...and moving!! So far I do still have a good relationship with ex's kids, I referenced that last year. But moving and selling my farm is heartbreaking

The loss of my husband of 53 years has emptied me. I don’t know who I am anymore or how to live my life. My brain isn’t working as it did. I can’t figure out the littlest thing, never mind get my head around the big things I now have to face.

My brother Patrick and my neice died. I was able to get to Washington to see my neice and I talked with my brother just before he died. AND it is death. It is the presence of their absence that resonates.

A milestone that I’m really looking forward to is to become an uncle and see my niece in less than a month. It is thrilling and I’m really anticipating it. Along with my partner and I celebrating over a year of living together and going on three years of being together.

Purchase of a new truck because of all that it allows us to do in every aspect of our lives. I am thankful!

Biggest milestone so far has been dog deaths. Also, I'll be turning 80 in October and Marco just turned 62, eligible for Social Security! My brother is currently on his last Motorcycle trip in Europe. Jason is in drug rehab (again) and we're all praying and hoping for him.

I kicked my 16 year old daughter out of my home. She has been staying with her dad the past 2.5 months. She had become an absolute terror, disrespecting me and the home and bringing a dark, negative energy that made it hard to be at home when she was there. She wants to come home and I am having her write a series of essays analyzing herself and her actions and behaviors and the consequences of those choices. I'm teaching her through the essays that she is responsible for herself, and no one can make her do anything. And I'm teaching her to reflect on the kind of person she wants to be. Through this process I've learned she doesn't know how to write an essay, even though she gets straight A's at school. Has she been using AI to get those grades? It has been a very difficult choice to make and I sometimes wonder if it is the right thing to do but "if you do what you've always done, you get what you've always gotten." It feels good to stand up for myself and not allow myself to be treated so poorly. This is an important learning for my own life. I am showing up for me. And there has been improvement in how she is treating her brother and in her essay writing. I know that in the long run, she will be grateful for this experience and recognize why I did it.

A major milestone for the family would be the change of situation for my Aunt. She has gone from living with my mom, to living in a facility because it is not feasible to take care of her needs around the clock. The work that has to go into getting her setup and moved in, and then checking on her and making sure that she has everything that she needs even if she is not sure what she needs if she even remembers it has proven to be very trying. Seeing how everyone is behaving and reacting is what is affecting me badly and is a shame.

My husband became a certified mohel, but business opportunities to do that are not amazing where I live because it's a small community. It was an expensive investment that I worry will be difficult to make back. I feel like our time here in this city is naturally starting to come to a close for many reasons, and I am anxious to see where life takes us and if we will move closer to parents.

Michelle and Viola have moved into a new apartment that's in a stellar school district. I lived down the hall from Michelle for the last 6 years & watched Viola grow from a blastomere to an almost 4 year old. I am so, so happy for them. and a bit sad that I won't be part of their lives in the same way anymore. I need to use this change as an opportunity to get more into a life I want to live.

We celebrated by child's B Mitzvah. Some were unhappy with the terminology. F them! I'm proud to let me child be who they are. Do I want to protect them as much as I can, yes!? I am so proud of them for trying to figure out who they are at a young age. I wish them only blessings and success.

We moved out of England and to China (again). My son got to have an extra year of Kindergarten, because we pulled him from the English system. It affected me in so many good ways. Son starting school in England was good, but it was a shitshow at work. There were so many issues that were so bad to do with that, that I basically didn't ever get to enjoy having him at my school. People judged me for hugging my own child briefly at break times. What the fuck is that. I am proud that I fanagled an extra year of play-based learning for him, and that he isn't in a Year 1 classroom being forced to do early academics that have no point at all.

My Dad got a terminal cancer diagnosis. Nothing is really the same anymore. There is before the diagnosis and now there is an after. The problem is........how long after might be.

I keep coming back to moving into this new home, but something else that's coming up is how our family has gotten stronger and moving loving with time. This fills my heart with joy. Even though I get sad and still have the occasional (but not frequent/lasting) thought of wanting to walk away, I come back to the truth: the immense love that exists between us all. Our family has gotten more stronger and loving and it fills my heart with joy.

Inka joined us. She is a beautiful, stubborn, energetic dog. She is also HUGE.

My oldest started puberty! It’s changed my relationship with them. Instead of being their person, they look towards their friends more and often want nothing to do with me.

My husband and I have moved to a senior residence very recently, and I am looking forward to the benefits of it.

I'd have to count both Paul and I landing back in the workforce. While we're both tired and (yes, I'll say it - fed up) with working, we need to keep at it, at least for a few more years. It helps that we're both older and have essentially seen all this work-related craziness before. Speaking for myself only my priorities regarding what's important after losing Nick (and more recently some friends). Yeah, I still get frustrated and aggravated - and then I do my best to let it go. I'm generally better at that letting go than I used to be, so that's a plus.

It has been hard to adjust to Zahira being gone. I missed her so much at the beginning of the last school year. In December, we met her and a friend in Carmel-by-the-Sea. She was obviously in deep distress, but I couldn’t put my finger on WHAT was bothering her. Turns out, the friend she’d brought was deeply toxic and their friendship lasted less than a week after that. Having her back home for the summer was lovely and filled my tank. This year, it was so much easier to send her off. She has very good, supportive, strong, funny friends who love her for who she is. She has found her people.

The revelation of S's abuse of his younger siblings and everything that's come with it. Hard to know where to even start. It's taught me how to dig incredibly deep as a parent even when things are unimaginably hard, how to confront the possibility that things might not work out well despite my best efforts, etc. It's also been amazing to see the younger siblings' resilience. A reminder of impermanence.

I don't know why this doesn't feel like a milestone but it is important to me, my choice to currently not have contact with my family. This decision came with tremendous guilt and shame yet I know it's necessary to me to feel sturdier within myself. I know my future self and my kids will be grateful that I made this painful choice in this space and time.

My cousin Jeff stopped talking to me last year and it's apparent he's made a choice to not meet me halfway in resolving our relationship and that's affected me both positively and negatively. Jeff has always treated me like I'm an annoying little sister: teasing me, making bad jokes (that only he finds funny), being sarcastic and not recognizing that his sarcasm is acerbic. And I have always felt hesitant to call him out on the ways in which he behaves toward me. I don't tell him I don't find him funny; I haven't said bluntly: "quit it!". Instead, I have historically just let it go, and that's created an imbalance in our dynamic where we both see each other in one way that does not represent all of who we both are. Last year, we got into a text-based altercation when he lashed out and I discovered he was holding onto hurt feelings from when his Mom died 4 years ago. That day, he had called me over and over and I saw his number come up but I didn't want to talk to him, so I ignored the call. Finally, after about 5 repeated calls, I answered the phone annoyed, and he then told me his Mom had passed. Obviously, once I heard the news, I was immediately thrown into a different headspace and it didn't dawn on me to rewind my brain five seconds earlier to apologize for how I answered the phone -- but THAT'S what he was mad at, and he took the opportunity to throw everything he's ever been upset at me about, in that one email. All the favours he's ever done for me, all the advice he's ever given, he made it sound like it was totally one-directional and that I'm an ungrateful, nasty, harsh and cold-hearted person while he has always been generous of his time and talents and that's simply not true. So, after a year of not communicating, which has actually been quite peaceful for me because I don't get random emails or texts with documentaries I should watch, news stories I should know about, athletes I should follow, or politics I should feel a certain way about -- I painted a watercolour card and apologized for how I answered the phone on the day his Mom died, and wished him a happy birthday and then mailed it to his house. He hasn't responded. I didn't say any more than that. I also didn't say "But you've acted this way and have always treated me that way" because I wanted to own what I feel responsible for and leave it as the initial move. No response suggests that he's already made his mind up about me and wants nothing to do with me, or he thinks I owe him more than one simple apology. It's infuriating to me that he doesn't SEE me. Just like Cam and David don't see me fully. But I'm learning to be at peace with what men choose to see and ignore.

My sister got married! Twice! Maybe three times! It was joyful and lovely in many ways but there has been a fall out with my brother as a result of things that happened around the wedding. That has tainted it all somewhat and made the effects not just positive. However it’s lovely that she’s married and we love her wife and the family they’ll make.

Hannah's bat mitzvah. It's just wild to be past my youngest kid's bat mitzvah...where we only have teenagers or young adults in the house and beyond now...we have exited a major area of parenting and there are parts of me that are sad about that. I need to sit in the present and appreciate all that this era brings (I can leave them home alone, we can have real conversations!)

9/16/26 - Honestly...compared to what I wrote last year, I don't know if there has been a "major milestone that happened with your family" in 2026/5786. I mean...my father earned I think a 40-year pin from his service with the Masons, so...there's that.

My partner came out as trans. This has deeply affected me, in ways that have been both frightening and amazing. To grow is to change. To change is to accept what is in my control and what isn't. It's humbling to know so little and exhilarating to learn so much so fast. I write this answer from the waiting room at the imaging center at St. Joseph's hospital while he gets a bilateral biopsy on two (barely) suspicious masses in both breasts - a procedure we self-advocated for in order to speed up the amount of time he has to wait to schedule gender affirming top surgery. They wouldn't let me go back with him to be his support. Another thing I'm not in control of. But I'm grateful we have access to medical care. My younger brother also shared his relapse into difficult entrenched depression this year. I am so proud of him for being vulnerable and asking for support. This (in my experience) is the hardest part of healing. Why do we struggle so much to share when we're in psychic pain? I am trying harder to stay closer to his which is only because he asked for it, and I feel I've only reaped benefits from this.

跟第一題一樣，我很慶幸所有的家人都用各自的方式往前走。我真的很幸福！也是一個有資源的人！

My mother was diagnosed with cancer and my brother with schizoaffective disorder. I became the invisible backbone of the family and it almost broke me. I’m learning that I can’t prevent catastrophe, or attempt to manage it. I’m just not that powerful. I could lose either of them at any moment, and have to come to terms with the worst possibilities. Confronting my own anxiety and telling it to sit down is my biggest challenge lately.

My spouse and I separated last year and it was really hard. I initiated the separation after trying really hard to heal some of our negative patterns. This year, we are both healing and able to stay family with each other. This is very reassuring for me, because I don’t like splitting. This is not a situation where that is necessary. I am struggling with guilt over the decision to leave even though I know it is for the best. I hurt my partner. I am reconciling with this.

The major milestone is happening right now, and that’s us moving into a larger (more expensive) apartment. This has definitely messed with my high holidays so far as I am waist deep in boxes, but it’s going to be a great improvement for the entire family. This has left me anxious about moving and packing but excited about the potential new living arrangements.

My spouse has stepped fully into retired life, while I continue to work, of necessity, 6 days out of 7. I'm struggling with resentment some days, while my partner keeps their own schedule and enjoys their interests and passions. Having said that, they've also struggled--with a medical condition, and the likelihood of eventual terminal decline; so yeah, maybe now is the time, for them, to be more free. I'm trying to balance compassion, boundaries, patience, exhaustion, and love--and that's been work, too.

My uncle got brain cancer and my mom fell off her bike and got a minor concussion that hopefully won't have long-term negative impacts. We don't know a lot about how my uncle is doing because my aunt is being very private. It's been scary. I haven't known how to deal with it because I don't know what they need and i don't want to impose.

As I said, Bubbe died. Grammy got cancer. Getting old seems like it sucks. I'm remembering that you really only have your health, and if you have your health, you have everything.

I'm so much happier at home now Russ is drinking less.

No real major milestone's - but lots of shifts. Family moves - selling of houses, moving to assisted care, a cousin's partner not well, so they have to move ... yes.. a reminder that life shifts all of the time and needing to be aware of how it all changes on a ticky. To live in the present and cherish the moments. Loss of a cousin and how that impacts on all the family and especially his Mom.

I bought my first new car! It’s been a stretch financially but I love my Subaru and I’m glad I got something I chose for myself finally.

We welcomed another grandbaby- what a blessing they are. It's hard because they're halfway across the country, and I want be helpful, but all we can do is fly in when asked to come.

We moved to Israel. It's been hard - much harder than I expected and much harder than when I moved the first time when I was young and single. Between bureaucracy, war, setting up a house, gan, integrating kids into Hebrew (a language they did not know), it's just been a lot - too much, even. And wondering if there is war again and how to hold on. And then figuring out who I am and want to be here/in this new stage of life. And what if it is only temporary. I am not as happy and settled as I thought I would be, if anything I feel more lost and more unsettled.

Noah returning from Germany has created some challenges in terms of household dynamics. The relationship between new adults and parents is a tricky one that I have not yet mastered. But I hope that he’s learning as much as we are.

A milestone that stands out for me this past year was my son turning 30. It made me pause—not because of the number itself, but because it reminded me how completely adulthood changes the relationship between a parent and a child. I still remember him as the little boy who played Monopoly at six, but now he is an adult with his own life, routines, interests, and very strong opinions about Scrabble. Some things haven’t changed: he’s still a homebody, still loves animals, still has an impressive vocabulary, and will still happily come over for a game of Scrabble. I love that there are these little threads connecting the child I knew to the man he has become. The milestone has affected me by making me more aware of the importance of enjoying the relationship we have now rather than holding onto earlier versions of it. Parenting gradually changes from doing things for your child to simply being part of each other’s lives. I find that transition both bittersweet and wonderful. I don’t need to be needed in the same way I once was. I just want to keep being someone he enjoys spending time with. And, naturally, I intend to continue hosting Scrabble. Some family traditions deserve to survive into adulthood.

Aaron and I had to put Duke down. I have complicated feelings about it. On one hand, he required so much care, much of it landing on me during the workday. I felt more vigilant and "on" and it impacted our relationship. On the other hand, it is a privilege to shepherd another soul Home. I don't know what Home is, but I tried to make end of life dignified and merciful. He wasn't my dog originally, but he became my dog. I knew him almost as long as I had Velveeta. I loved him and got my shit rocked when he had to go. I'm grateful to experience it with a partner though. There is comfort in shared grief.

I turned 70. I'm so grateful to be alive!! I also realize that one day I will die. I'm curious about what that will be like. I've found a Jewish cemetery nestled in the redwoods. My dear friend Sandy and I have chosen two spots together, and we will finalize the details for our final resting place next week. I am happy to be taking care of these details while I am still alive. It is a gift to my family.

I finally retired from clinical medicine after over 40 years! I am a bit disoriented, but my mental health has improved!

I was reacquainted with my mother last October after being estranged for six years. She has dementia now. I am able to be with her in ways I had not previously been able too. Now I have boundaries and I can care for her without getting lost in our history.

Oh my goodness! R's Bar Mitzvah. It was everything that L's Bat Mitzvah was not. The comparison is not about the two kids--although they are very, very different--but about what we were all dealing with, both as a family and as a Jewish people. M&D were more experienced at the event and its needs. They were on the farm. They were integrated into their community by an additional two year. D&A had two kids, not one and a disabled pregnant mother. The whole "everyone hates the Jews" thing has been normalized (so to speak. Also, ugh.) and was an ache, not a sharp pain. So yeah, a real high point.

My mom has been having some health issues. Controllable, but scary nonetheless. My mom has always been the one to take care of everyone and it has been difficult for her to admit she needs a little help. It puts a lot of things into perspective when you have aging parents. There is a kind of role reversal now -- I'm worry about them, getting nervous when they don't answer their phone (they're likely at BINGO!) and getting a bit apprehensive when the phone rings later in the evening. I now realize what they went through when we were kids.

One of the most significant things that happened in my family this past year was losing some of the older members of our family. We lost several of my great-uncles one after another, and it affected all of us deeply. For me, it felt like we were not only losing people we loved, but also losing a connection to a certain period of our family’s history. They carried so many memories, stories and traditions with them that, in a way, it felt as though a part of those beautiful times disappeared with them. At the same time, these losses reminded me how important family is and how easily we can take the time we have together for granted. It made me realise that I want to stay closer to my family, make more time for them, and appreciate the moments we still have together.

My 57 year old son who has been addicted to Meth for at least 10 years got a settlement from a wreck... $166,000. He bought a new truck and spent some of the money wisely but he wasted at least $50,000 on Meth and his Meth friends who were just using him. Now he is broke and without a job and I think still using meth and he looks horrible because he's lost a lot of weight. He did this and spiraled out of control in a short 2 month time. He got angry at me because I told him I did not want him to bring his drug using friends to my house. I did not hear from him for two months. Then he got stopped and charged with possession of drug paraphernalia which in itself is a misdemeanor but there was meth in the pipe so they were considering bumping it up to a felony which would mean he would spend time in jail again and I don't think I can stand it and I don't think he can stand it. Because he is afraid of losing his CDL license he decided to go to inpatient rehab. When he went to court the judge agreed if he spent 3o days in rehab the charges would be dropped. He went to in patient rehab but left there after 3 days. My feet were knocked out from under me. I was so disappointed that if he had not been my son I probably would have washed my hands of him. But of course he is my son and I will love him no matter what. When he left inpatuent rehab he did sign up for the out patient program. Supposedly he is going to the classes but I have no way of knowing for sure. The problem now is that we don't know for sure if the judge will accept the op certificate since that is not what the judge agreed to. It was not court ordered rehab but in patient was what the judge agreed to. I asked my son about it and he said he gets the same certificate for op that he would get for in patient so he hopes the judge eill accept it. I just told him that I hope so too. And now my son is avoiding me again and I don't know why. I guess when he goes back to court we will find out the outcome. I just paid $55 for my son to get his phone turned back on and he is not even called me or sent me a text to say he thanks me. I don't know what's wrong I don't understand why he's avoiding me. His friend said she saw him today and he don't look good. God please heal and deliver my son. My daughter-in-law has said that they found a lump in her lung and I don't know if they did a biopsy or what my grandson said that they were wanting to do radiation and she had a pap smear done two weeks ago but she hasn't let me know what the results of that are either. She has looked so bad for so long but when she and my grandson came by here and spent one night a few months ago she looked worse than I've ever seen her look. She smokes like a smoke stack and I wish she could quit that and I wish she could get off that kratom. My son had filed for divorce but since his friend stopped helping him out and she stopped having him over to her house after he left rehab he has dismissed the divorce proceedings. I don't know if that's a good thing or not because I don't believe, I know, that my daughter-in-law nor my son is going to get along any better than they have done unless they put God in the center of their life and forgive one another. And my two grandsons are just floating along drinking heavily every day and my one grandson is homosexual and has AIDS and my other grandson is mad at me and block me on Facebook because I told his ex-girlfriend that she was just using him after she told him he could come back home if he got a divorce and when he got a divorce she wouldn't let him come back but he was steadily giving her money for the year that he had lived away from her and even after the divorce. I don't know if he's still sending her money or not but he not have anything to do with me. And probably if I had it to do over again I would have said even more to the girl. I pray for continued Mercy on the whole family and for healing and deliverance for all of then, and that God never stops calling them by his spirit. My brother, Mike, who is 5 years younger than me found out 7 months ago that he has cancer. It metastasized they're saying from thyroid cancer that he had several years ago and it is all over his body. He has steadily gotten worse and weaker and it even went to his brain. God told him when this first started that he was going to heal him this side of glory and that there was going to be no mistaking it was God who healed him and it would be for a great testimony. But since he found out he had a brain cancer and he could only tolerate 8 out of 10 radiation treatments he's been at home on hospice. He had a good day when I was there Tuesday for part of the day and then the next day after that he just didn't respond to hardly all day and for two days now he's barely eaten anything and he's not drinking. He went 12 days without a bowel movement with me telling his wife the whole time that she need to have it the nurse check him and give him an enema. He was on home health at that time and instead of her either changing home health companies are standing up to the nurses and telling them they need to do their job she decided to change him back to hospice because he tried to come out of the bed. If she had paid attention to me and they had done an enema earlier he wouldn't have gotten that extra toxicity in his body and his mind may not have gotten worse. I know there's no way of knowing whether it's the brain cancer or if it was no bm but I'm still hanging on to the hope of what God told me was going to come to pass. I'll hang on to hope that he's healed until he takes his last breath. My sister-in-law and I have had words a few times because I disagree with some decisions she's made and she don't want anybody telling her anything. She said she's doing the best she can but she's not a nurse and that's the thing that I'm trying to get her to understand she is doing the best she can but she's right she's NOT a nurse and she has one right here in the family, me, h who worked around elderly and dying people for 38 years and she should be listening to my advice. I'm not happy at all that she put him back on hospice but I have to go along with it. Home health at least tries to keep people alive but hospice only helps them to die. Hospice has it's place but I don't think my brother needed to go back from home help to hospice yet. There's nothing I can do. She sent me a long text and apologize but I'm just not ready to accept her apology. I forgive her yes because I have to because if I don't forgive her I'm not going to be forgiven by God but that forgiveness I extend is that I don't want her to face any kind of judgment for anything she's done to me but that don't mean that I'm okay with her. I haven't been back down there since she practically chewed me out and made me feel like that little fat girl in elementary school that never got heard and never got seen and never got picked for any teams. I've barely answered her since then and I know she probably knows that I'm still not over it. But I plan to go down there tomorrow. My niece is there and my sister-in-law said that my brother has barely been eating or drinking or talking much for 2 or 3 days. She said he tried to hug his grandson and speak to him today but it was just barely an effort. I went through the death of my brother, Ronnie, from AIDS, through my daddy being in the hospital for 72 days and then dying, then through being the caretaker of my mother and losing her 15 years ago, but this with my brother is the worst thing that I've had to go through as far as the sickness of a family members. It could be because I'm older now at 74 and all alone. I'm all alone and Mike is my last sibling other than the Robinsons who I'm not really close to at all. I don't understand why me and my family members' lives have all always been a mess. I just don't understand. Why can't I have a normal life with happiness and why can't my family members have a normal life with happiness. My son's daddy wouldn't have anything to do with him his whole life and even now when my son's 57 and his daddy is 78 his daddy's still won't have anything to do with him. I don't know how much more I can stand physically or mentally. I'm trying my hardest to hang on to my faith in God and his promises and what he told my brother. God have mercy on us all and never stop drawing Us by your spirit. Please heal my brother and please heal my son and deliver him of the meth and heal and deliver his family. And heal me. In Jesus' name. Amen. And I just don't understand why my son's not having anything to do with me right now. God help me. God help us all! I really don't know how much more I can take emotionally or physically. I'm hanging on to hope the best I can. God please heal my brother and my son and the rest of my family. In Jesus' name. Amen.

hm. my family. im not sure. my family seems to exist in a slightly different realm from the reality in which i live. and perhaps that itself is the observed affectation.

The family gathering to scatter Gregory's ashes last October, and seeing that through Fran's eyes, plus conversations that I've had more regularly with Laura and Richard this year, have made me realize that our family is quite dysfunctional and it wasn't always rosy when we were growing up - particularly for Laura. It has made me feel more self-sufficient. I no longer rely on my family. I've got my own home with Fran and we support each other. I speak more with her parents than with my own. I'm glad I've got regular calls with everyone now, but they are all separate: with Richard and Laura solo; and with Moira and Sandy together. It doesn't work as a group call. That was just a pandemic thing that didn't last. Scattering the last of Gregory's ashes is a bit of a milestone. It took us over two years to disperse all of his remains in four separate locations. I made a photo collage from each of the four locations and sent a copy to everyone. My grief has definitely waned. I don't cry about it anymore. Each scattering got progressively less emotional. The final one on Arran was the most frustrating experience due to our (already mentioned) poor communication. It also made me realize that Moira and Sandy are getting quite old now. They struggled the most on the walk - particularly Sandy - but they both did it, if quite slowly. I think all of this has made me grateful to the family I've made with Fran. I no longer rely on my immediately family for emotional, financial, or practical support. It's good to have my calls with Laura to discuss stuff. Another milestone was that Tom and Ros sold Llys Madian, their second home in Wales, so we'll no longer be able to go there on holiday for my birthday every year. I'll miss that. It was getting more expensive to maintain and Ros wanted the security of the money in the bank for her own upkeep once Tom is gone. This was more emotional for Ros and Fran, but I'm still sad about it, too. There's something lovely about going back to the same places every year. We could still do that, but we'd have to stay somewhere else, so it will never really be the same again. I'm really glad that I encouraged Fran to go back there one last time just before Christmas last year.

I've greatly enjoyed the holidays with my grandchildren and the trip to Disneyland Paris with my daughter's family. I'm sure we've built memories that will stay with us, even when I'm no longer there to remind them.

I had a hard time with this one... there is not a milestone in the usual sense, but a poignant awareness of our aging siblings. Re-reading last years answer to this question, I see I said basically the same thing. It is still true.

Our son, a brilliant computer genius, has been laid off from his formerly enviable tech position. That underscores - as this is happening to thousands of others - the fragility of the economy. On the other hand, our second son and his sweetie had their first child and holding that baby takes some of the chill out of mortality.

a major milestone in my family.... as I have said in almost all of my questions, I think MY move has been a major milestone. I CHOOSE to spend time with my family now, not just have to spend time with them when they're in town. It is changing the way we are with each other and makes us appreciate each other in a new way

Pretty much the same as my answer to Question 1. I miss my sister. There are so many things that make me think of her and I really wish she was still here.

Had my 70th birthday. Got me thinking about "life after death" Not Mine! But those left behind. I have no-one to.leave anything too. Bloody Nazis.

Mom turns 103 years old in 3 days. I am not sure what I will find when I see her. It seems she has trouble getting words out but remains happy. My mother-in-law, Louise, passed away 12 days prior to her 96 th birthday.

I went no contact with my parents. It was really hard, but overall it was a relief. I’m less angry. I have more capacity for self care. I never expected they could be capable of such betrayal, but I’m glad I finally had a “reason” to let go.

This year, my daughter began receiving life saving mental healthcare. It has affected me in ways I did not expect. The pressure of trying to keep her alive for years without the support needed was finally lifted. I now realize how profoundly the weight of it has shaped who I am and how I meet the world. Now that I have space to process these things, I feel exhausted and overwhelmed at times. I feel disconnected from community and unable to deeply connect.

This is more a place holder than an answer, because I can’t think of a major milestone. Maybe there were several small ones: 9 years since husband got WNV; another year of doing language every day; 13 years since son moved overseas; dog is now 7; we are now 73; lived in this house for 7 years; in Idaho for 36 - it’s all just life moving along.

Our separation is the major theme of the year and has had an obvious impact. I blew up my life and what little family I did have through Joshua. I haven’t heard from any of them in months, so the solitude came faster than I thought it would. I knew that this decision would force me to face the fear of being alone, but it’s hurtful and disappointing to get nothing at all from people who have been your family for more than a decade. Of course they’re his parents, but some kind of acknowledgment would have been nice. A well crafted statement about how sad the news is, hope the best for everyone, etc would have gone a long way. I can’t control how people react to things though and hope time can heal some of these wounds.

No real milestones, but I got to visit Abigail and Josh and meet their kids. That was nice. My family has gotten smaller, just due to ideals, which is fine, and they are among the few that are normal.

My son got married to a woman who is Tunisian. Their issues with getting her a green card and the worry about her employment and seeing her family have impacted all of us. It also impacts their relationship. I love them and it is hard to see this regime and its racism affect them this way.

I have separated with my wife. It’s been difficult to find a new normal. My work hours are long and anti social making it hard to spend quality time with my kids. It took me 3 years of trying to make my marriage work and compromising everything I wanted out of life to make it work. Life is hard now. I miss being around my kids but I’m making every minute I have with them worth it. Life apart from that is happier on the whole. I’ve met someone else who shares my love for life and matches my energy. She’s happy to be scruffy and wet half way up a mountain or dressed to the nines out on the dance floor. She’s kind, caring and hears me when I speak. I feel wanted and appreciated everyday.

Just keeping on keeping on. And that's important too.

Strangely enough it has been both a small and big milestone. My relationship with my mother dramatically changed over the last several years - it got so much better. I feel more connected to her and I know more about her life and she knows more about mine. This year in particular her age has really come to the forefront of her living but she is still doing amazing! She lost her husband and this is first full year that she is on her own living in assisted living. She is doing great but she needs help navigating her investments (my brother is helping her with the admin), her budgeting (I am helping her figure out how to set her money up), settling her husband's estate (we are both helping her) and also traveling (she came to visit me and we went on a road trip!) It makes me optimistic that we have more milestones to come for several years.

All three kids are in some kind of school and it's thrilling. They all love school, they're excited to go every day, and there's doing so well. It's an area where I'm deeply happy and satisfied, seeing them learning and growing. Barring a miracle the book is closed with the baby phase, which is bittersweet, but I can't be sad when I see how happily and well the kids are growing.

I’m going through a divorce. Not my choice, even though I had to take the initiative because my soon to be ex husband was being passive aggressive about it. This has been extremely difficult for me. I lost weight, hair, and sleep. My blood pressure shot up. I’ve been stressed, anxious, sad, angry, lonely, frustrated and disappointed. But I try to count my blessings: my daughter, my parents, my brother and his family, my job, my friends, my health, my house, and the fact that my dizziness is under control. I am trying to counter the ill effects of divorce by pushing myself to make new friends and cultivate old ones. I am very sad that my dream of a family is ending. But I am glad that I’m slowly freeing myself from a shallow, lazy, cruel, selfish, cowardly person who made me feel so bad about myself for so long.

My paternal babushka passed away in spring. She lived to 101, and we all were secretly hoping she would be there forever. A part of me still thinks she is alive, and I can go visit her anytime to read her favorite poems together. I'm just postponing it.

My mom quit her job, and in essence her career of the past 30-ish years. She's since been working to determine what's next, as she's both too young and too energetic to really retire. It's been interesting to watch her experiment with different gig work, private practices, and other forms of self-employment. It's a nice reminder that one can still reinvent oneself in one's 50s, that one can always work to rediscover joy and excitement in one's life and work. She's also been experimenting with some alternative medicine/healing practices, which I don't fully believe in/agree with. As a result, it's been interesting to watch her dive into something that I have issues/challenges with and for me to wrestle with how I feel about that sort of work and her practice of it.

I'm relieved that Eli became fully potty trained out of pull ups at night and has minimal accidents. It's especially meaningful since I'd heard so many boy moms before me tell how their kid was still wetting the bed into early elementary years and just not able to get out of that stage. Our finances have been reduced by a little with this accomplishment. Our son is truly on his way to being a full blown school kid and even learned to swim a short distance across the pool holding his breath in the water making me feel proud and pleased at my parenting job.

Turning 50 was like a switch went off and I gave soooooo many fewer fucks. I am celebrating with friends and family all over the country all year, and not thinking it's too much or I'm too much. I realize I likely have lived about half of my life (if my genes have anything to say about it, not quite half) and I want to choose every day to do what brings me the most pleasure while reducing the world's pain.

Sarah, Bev and I began family therapy, something I had been hoping we'd do for years. I have been anxious and upset. And focused on how to make things better between us.

If you mean FOO, I guess see Q4 that I accidentally answered before this one. But in my family that’s Jeff and me and the cats, a couple of things. One is that Petey hit his third birthday in August, which was a milestone we weren’t sure would happen. We also adopted Coraline this year. But deeper than that, I’ve been learning more about Jeff and how his brain works and that it often works much differently than mine. I’ve been working to self-reflect and increase my patience, which is admittedly hard for me at times.

Moving my dad into assisted living has impacted my siblings and me in numerous ways. His chronic health issues make everything a perpetual concern. Where we hoped to find safety in this decision, it has resulted in constant questioning of the care he’s receiving.

My mother's 95th birthday was a major milestone. From her 90th birthday during the pandemic to life-threatening illnesses over the next three years, no one thought that we would be celebrating 95 with her. But she somehow pulled through and got back on track, and her indominable spirit is an inspiration. I don't think that I have that much strength or gumption.

My husband's father died. Maybe we can heal now. We haven't yet, though. It's going to take work. I hope we can do it.

So many. First of all, I lived in Israel for 4 months this year, without my close family, this meant that I got to establish my first proper relationship with my wider family, and how lovely it was to feel part of such a big and loving family. I got to be there in Silvi's last few months of consciousness, in Grandmas last few months of memory. I became a real part of the family, I got to see their fantastic sides and their challenging sides, I got to be there for them, and it was one of the most meaningful things that I could've done this year, because I felt that I was responsible, in growing our connections, or in failing to, it was on me, my decision, and I decided to be a member of the family, a feeling that I've never properly had before. Being there for Silvi at the hospital playing music and singing to her was extremely emotional and touching, put so many things into perspective, may she rest with respect and love and joy just as she gave us. On another note, our family trip to Israel, Greece and Albania was a huge milestone, being together as a family for a month, longer than we had ever in 8 years. It was challenging at points and so beautiful, to see how much we have in common and can enjoy each other's company, definitely pointed out areas in my behaviour that I need to work on. And then the Europe trip with Roni, that was insaneeee. We had a beautiful time together that we will remember forever, and yes it can be challenging to be around her sometimes, as for everyone, I love her to the ends of the Earth and I'm so happy we got to do that trip together, Dad was right. Oh yeah and with Mum and Dad, we are just as close as I was talking about a year ago, we talk about everything, we smoke together, I really enjoy their company and them mine. I'm really lucky to be a part of this beautiful family.

A major milestone with my family this year is that my older son and his family are welcoming a new little son/brother into their lives! This was totally unexpected as they had said they were not going to have more kids. I am elated and excited to have a new grandson!

After my nephew got married and moved to NJ, my birth family has expanded again. I am blessed with more and new relatives living in NJ. As a former only child, it is wonderful to now have a larger and more local family.

There have been not one, but two, major family life changes for me this year! The first: Aided by my extraordinary sister, my two sons surprised me for my birthday. The surprise was so special, but even more importantly was that my sons had not seen one another in ten years after a major falling out. One son has never met his nephew or niece, the other son has not met his brother's wife. It's been ten years of heartache for me and my husband. But this year the ice broke. It's only the beginning, but it's a start. And it was a good start. The second: My husband has made major strides in dealing with his alcohol addiction. The change in him is night and day. The change in the way we relate to one another, the change in the way I feel day to day is so dramatically different that I'm struggling to find a way to adequately express the effects on my overall well being. The sense of relief and gratitude I feel cannot be overstated. These changes have allowed me to exhale, to breathe easier, and to hope.

My grandfather, my last remaining grandparent, died in February. My father didn't tell me about the funeral, so I wasn't able to attend. Everyone in the family just assumed I couldn't make it/didn't want to come. I only found out about it from my cousin's social media. This made me absolutely furious with my father, and I'm still angry six months later. It's been a lot to process, and I think it's going to be a long time before I'm over it. I think it has caused irreparable damage to my relationship with him.

Jacob just started college - crazy to think how time flies

youngest son moved in with girlfriend, oldest son has new girlfriend, families came together to enjoy dinner and a show in LA. I had do much joy, I was so excited, and it was such a beautiful coming together.

I finished walking a pilgrimage that I started in 2019, did a section in 2020 (when it was allowed because of COVID) and finally completed in 2026. It was a huge achievement considering how challenging it was now that am 7 years older than when first started. So many things went wrong for me physically and medically but I really enjoyed the experience and had fantastic weather too. Still need time to reflect on the spiritual nature of the walk.

Mark is driving! Mark has a car, or rather Mark has Mia‘s old car and she bought a nice, new one! Her boyfriend is out. I’m proud of her for recognizing his narcissism and dumping him. Now she’s dating Brandon, a guy she had dated once or twice before. He seems to be a well balanced, healthy guy with a good job and small town background. He wants them to move in together, but she said not without a ring! This is another reason I’m proud of her. My divorce became final December 2025! Like I said earlier, it didn’t really change anything. Besides some wavering moments of guilt. “Did I do enough?” But I’m convinced that I have. In our exchanges since then which have been few, we can talk civilly. But the minute I moved into my new garage apartment here in the Heights, we finally had to make decisions about all the stuff we’ve required and were able to stuff in my large apartment for two years. Now I’ve got a garage full of our junk that we never decided on. I can’t park in my nice garage until it’s dealt with.

We are still boring! Third year in a row with no major milestones! We are all getting to the age where major milestones start to become negative things, so this is a blessing.

My son sat his GCSE’s and à chapter of his school experience closed. He worked hard, did extremely well but was a bit underwhelmed by his results in a couple of subjects. I have been inspired by his effort, by his brain, and perhaps most of all by the way he took some time to regroup and has come out of the blocks for his A levels with a plan to achieve his ambitions.

My wife's latest novel received an unexpected major bump in paperback from a bookstore chain which allowed us to be on financially solid ground for the year. We were able to pay off credit card debt, help out w/ our daughter's wedding, go on a dream trip. The financial boost was temporary, of course, but it allowed me to be able to enjoy, more, the flexibility of my current work situation (flexibility that comes w/ some financial cost). It also gave me some breathing room to work towards more deliberately crafting the life I want going forward--something at which I am not well practiced and, so, will take me a considerably much longer time than other, more nimble members of my family!

The wedding for Lyla and Gabe enlarged my nachas! Another milestone - Ari getting his first home and fixing it up himself, expanded our real estate holdings and inspired starting work on the will and trust docs!! And another milestone breaking ground and framing my adu made my dream into a reality!!!

My 85th birthday. I’m excited because I still am functioning extremely well and my mind is still working with very few lapses. I know that I still have a lot to offer in the world – particularly in ACA and with Grief groups. I pray that our democracy can be restored, and I don’t think that I am going to live long enough to see that.

Have had more special times with our son and daughter and long time friends who were visiting with us which makes one realize how old we are and the effort of keeping up with my past and how I need to think about the future and my history. I also have discovered that my body is changing and the medical efforts I need to make.

My only granddaughter is 13. For the past two years, she has tried unsuccessfully to manage public school. For two years, her mother, my only daughter, has made the decision to homeschool her. This decision is a major burden for my working daughter and for my beautiful but limited granddaughter. If only I could help both of them more.

My son graduated from high school and is in Israel taking a gap year. I am so proud of him. I feel we both get to heal and grow.

Kid's first menstrual cycle! That rocked me in ways I wasn't quite ready for, especially as I begin my reverse puberty journey.

I feel like we have really gotten close as a family, closer than we have ever been and have been honest with one another about our fears an insecurities in a way that is kind, rather than lashing out at one another because we are scared or uncertain. I'm glad that I've spent more time at home with my partner, even though I still divide my time between here and NYC. Our family has really come to prioritize time together.

My uncle passed away around the end of last and it shook up my family a bit. For me it’s been a reminder that we don’t always have as much time to do the things we want or be with the people we care about, so you have to make each moment count as best you can.

Both my partner and I started experiencing significant changes in our health and mobility. I seem to be navigating it a little bit gentler than my partner. It makes me feel isolated and lonely in our partnership

a major milestone that has happend is not having my grandpa. around not that he died but my sister and i do not have contact with him an he is manic.

This year, my mother's declining health has been a significant change in our lives. Her battle against Parkinson's Disease has been going on for years, and thankfully it has been a slow progression. This year, however, it became clear to everyone, even my parents, that they needed to make a change in their lifestyle. Since spring, they've been waiting for an apartment to open up in a nearby retirement village, and watching them come to the realization that they need more help has been painful. I'm trying to be a good son, but my father's obstinance in getting tough to deal with, and I don't want it to impact our relationship, which has always been close. I find that I am resentful of my siblings for living out of the area, relieved when we have others who can help out, and scared about what's to come.

Same as Q1. Thanksgiving marked the beginning of my Mom being bedridden, and spending my weekend afternoons with her. On the one hand, I don't make social plans during the weekends at all. I don't even really want to any more. I mean-- I think about doing something fun during the day, or even going away, but in truth, I'm just tired. Making plans feels like a chore.

My family relationships are a bit toxic for me, so my milestones have had to do with setting boundaries. I love my mom and my brothers, but I have to be realistic about what's possible as we navigate old age together. My brother's divorce has been a weird process. It's made me even more sure that I need to protect myself, get my will completed, stuff like that. Adulting waits for no one.

There is probably a reason I am trying hard to find one. It could be that my daughter’s personal assistance team has grown and that I was able to phase out of being part of it. It was probably a milestone for her to feel more independent from her mother. On the other hand it has alienated us, reducing times when we are together in particular for outings. I feel that I feel removed from being a carer also has sacrifices. She also more often asks for me and walks into my room seeking company even if for a little while. And I feel sometimes I cannot be there for her in order to have my time to rest or work. I guess - “children with disabilities becoming more independent” is what I should have lead with.

Ellen and I have overcome some significant health issues. Our issues are either fixed or successfully managed and this has been a great relief for everyone in our family. Ellen and I have both returned to more normal activities with less worry about our underlying issues.

The loudest family milestone must be my father's pulmonary embolism and all the things around it, from S's graduation to the extended family visit, his and my mom’s 80th birthdays, to all my feelings about dogs and forgiveness and intimacy and memory. The question of how it affects me is a sweet challenge. It's valuable to get clear on that. I could lose my parents. They will die someday. Someday soon, I will lose my parents. The space between the losses matters so much. The other family milestone—A’s death—has been teaching me that. Though this loss is relatively distant from me, its weight impacts me as another grief stone dropped into our marriage with merciless timing. H is grieving again, like a child drowning in the surf, the weight of grief hitting her again and again, with inadequate time for recovery. These milestones carry their own heartbreak, the unfathomable loss of A, the threat of losing my dad. They also bring up the challenge of living with H’s avoidance of healing support. And also, will H grieve my father while I do? Will she find healing in supporting me through his death? Will she care too much for my mother? Will that come between us? Grief seems to make even the best of us awful.

I was able to say no to my family and protect my peace. I think it’s had interesting effects on me as I’ve been coping with new emotions coming from being an independent young adult and setting boundaries with them. The small things have added up and now I think we’re on a neutral-positive level of awareness of my independence and the control they have/freedoms I have.

The biggest milestone is Ilan to college. But I already mentioned that. Another one: Our art up on the wall and living room largely redecorated. Are we grownups yet? Can we start entertaining finally? When do we feel caught up so we can start thinking about fun? It's such a joy just to sit in our living room though, and in our back patio with the bougainvillea. Things are coming together.

I don't want to just repeat my answer from question 1, but of course my brother's estrangement has been the major milestone of my family's years. It does have me thinking about my relationships with the rest of my nuclear family, and how those do feel slightly more...prickly. Sensitive. I know I will need to tend to those carefully to keep them healthy. I also think having Sonia's polycule dynamics changing has affected me. It has felt at times that my normally steady base, my family, is crumbling.

The kids getting along more has made life easier. They still fight but they are also more friends now. I already mentioned Sherlock dying recently. We got a new puppy, moriarty who is a champ, but it was sad to say goodbye to our old and first ever dog. My parents continue to age and while there is no specific milestone, my mom will be getting hip surgery after having some knee surgery (maybe last year) which reminds me of their aging. Time keeps passing and I still question what I want to do with my life. I’m fortunate to have maya who recently got another raise and continues to crush it at her work.

My kid sister got married. It was a great occasion because she’s deserved to be with someone who was good to her. More importantly for me is that my wife went and had a good time. The animosity that’s existed between her and my sisters for years just went away. They all had fun together. My wife and big sister were dancing and laughing together at the end of the night. When we got back to our room, my wife cried and told me she always wanted an older sister like my older sister. It felt good.

My wife and I celebrated our 22nd anniversary this year, we've now been married half our lives. The celebration itself was awful. Hiking was a mess. Roads were rained out, the hotel we got kind of stuck at smelled strongly of mold. It was pretty bad, and then we had a lot of work when we finally got home. That all said it's a great achievement. The years have by and large been great. The next 22 will be too.

My husband rode his first “century” on a bike (100 miles). It was great to see the result of all the hard work he’s put into this sport. He was a “late bloomer” and not very athletic when we were younger, but it really suits him now.

Sam hitting his birth weight two weeks after birth allowed us to stop setting alarms to feed him and was the first step to sleep training that has made us functional first time parents. 12x12 is amazing

My mom was diagnosed with Alzheimer's. It's sad, and yet I am glad we have a diagnosis. I have shifted to more of a caretaker role and I am trying to make the best of our time together.

Orly started solids early, at age 4 months (her pediatrician said she was ready so we went with it!) and it was a total game changer. I finally felt like I could participate more fully in parenting, particularly during my leave (approx 6-9 mos) when we would go to museums and cafes and other shuls and she'd eat some of whatever I was eating sitting on my lap. I love watching her try new things and figure out what she likes, what she wants, and how to get it.

My dad's death has affected me deeply. I miss him every single day. My relationship with him was very different from my relationship with my mom. He was more like a best friend. I admired him greatly. He also had a myriad of issues stemming from his OCD and I had to be his caretaker. But I loved him with all my heart and I miss him so much. I miss his humor - that look he got on his face right before he would laugh, which I tried to get him to see in the mirror when I was little. I miss him coming over to watch hockey games. I miss him telling me the history of the different folk singers when we listen to music or, even better, go to concerts or, the best, go to folk festivals together. I miss talking about politics with him and going to protests with him. I am honored and proud that he insisted on watching MSNBC on his nearly death bed. That's amazing to me. I miss our discussions of everything from politics to TV shows to punny jokes to what happened in school that day (both as a kid and as a teacher) to his childhood adventures. I can overlook the madness of his OCD because I know it was a mental illness and it was a layer on top of his pure goodness and true heart. I love him and I miss him and I'm sorry for all the ways that I failed him when I got frustrated and angered by it.

My daughter got married. I gained a daughter and it is a relief that one of my children isn't alone...she has a partner to share her life's ups and downs. A wonderful partner.

I moved back in with my parent at age 30 Happy no rent but my commute is 45 mins Ehhh love them but idk how this is gonna last haha

En stor milstolpe för vår familj under året har varit att vi blivit mer judiska. Vi har börjat markera sabbaten, gått på barngudstjänster och sökt oss närmare en judisk gemenskap. Samtidigt har vi fortsatt att utvecklas som familj trots min sjukdom och de begränsningar och den brist på energi som den har inneburit. Det har gett oss en starkare känsla av vilka vi är som familj och vilken sorts familjeliv vi vill bygga.

My polyamorous family is splitting in half, a dozen years in with three kids. I am reeling, but I am still upright. It's so disappointing to see how my co-parent is showing up. His stated priority is to keep the kids together, but that would require insisting that his other partner experience the discomfort of family therapy. He won't, and she won't, and so this is the end of the road. I thought I knew him. My remaining partners and I are closing on a house during Sukkot, bringing the two kids we can. I don't think the other two have started reckoning with next steps.

My matriarch passed away this year. My grandmother. It’s affected me in terms of thinking about priorities, wondering what living a good life looks like.

My only remaining family member — my dog, Lev Gadol — died in February. I am still bereft, and I talk to him every day. I am still grieving — and at the same time, I am celebrating the amazing time we spent together. He was my best spiritual teacher.

For the first time since 1970 when I moved out of home to get married we three boys live in the same ( country) town. We have been a good support for each other although recently there has been disagreement and harmful words between me and my brother Wilton and his wife Lyn. I intend to go on being cooperative and polite and positive but there are undercurrents that I don’t know what to do with.

Moving my mom into memory care was a milestone that isn't something to celebrate, but recognize. She is 95, almost 96 years old and living alone was no longer an option. We did find a place that was close to my sister and she got to keep her cat. We found the right place and she is thriving. What followed has been going through the decades of memories as we clean out her apartment. There is crap, but there are precious items, photos, jewelry, silver. Do you keep it for grandkids who really don't want it? Do you donate it all to a thrift store? Is it something that you can sell? Sometimes we came upon gems - the squash blossom jewelry set made of safety pins. My sister's granddaughter took it - I did keep the real turquoise. Photos we can scan and let other family members have a digital version. She had a scrapbook of her time as President of B'nai B'rith - the newspaper articles and programs - and we were able to let go and throw most of it away. This has been a bonding time with my sister. I appreciate that she has taken the caregiver role. But we have been able to spend the time to give careful consideration of each item that meant so much to my parents. It has given me the impetus to look at my "stuff" What is necessary and needed, or gives me "joy"? What is no longer there for me. I have to admit that I am throwing away an old Hillary Clinton campaign magnet. I am okay with that.

My brother got married last month! I have a new sister in law and I am so blessed to be part of our two families joining together. I always wanted to have a sister growing up and in a way, my brother gave me one. She’s also my best friend and somebody I am beyond lucky to have in my life.

I can't really answer this. I have no family to speak of, except a sister who has cut ties with me for her own reasons, and it really hurts. And it especially hurts because a few weeks ago I had a birthday--- I turned 78 years old, and that includes itself is a miracle, but neither my sister, NOR my cousins, acknowledged it, and without my sister in my life I am more afraid of having no one in my later years. In recent years I have become acutely aware of how little time I may have left, and Im afraid of dying. In this season of accounting, I ask myself which side of Gd's ledger I am on. Ive never thought like this before. I just know that Im not ready! I just read my answer from last year, and nothing much has changed. I'm very disappointed that that's the case.

The day after Xmas 2025 my parents moved out of my childhood home. It was hard, but I really had said my last goodbyes back in February 2025 when it became clear that nobody in the family was going to buy the house. That was truly the end of that dream. But, it did set me free to explore a future all my own rather than one tied to Tacoma. The only thing that ties me to Tacoma is my job. The truth is I could do a job anywhere - am I brave enough to?

My nephew released his studio‘s third video game which was a huge success. I feel very pleased and proud of home. It is very satisfying to see the next generation doing so well, living their best life.

I feel the major milestone was having both my brothers coming to Houston together so we could go to the rodeo. It was the first time in the about 20 years that we were together. I guess I it made me feel nostalgic.

My family’s milestone? My kids are good. Aitan is finally busy almost daily with work, day program, volunteering, social group, Special Olympic bowling or Pegasus. Koren continues to enjoy his life and his work. He is very happy to have celebrated 1 year with Nell.❤️ My folks turned 87, that’s huge. I am truly blessed.

More than one milestone happened this past year. First, I turned 80 with an attitude of recognition and gratitude but with a smooth transition to this decade. My physical health is good, my mental health is good, and I continue to challenge myself with new expert assignments. The second major and wonderful milestone was that my grandson, Justin started a new job after graduation from LMU. He interviewed well and with confidence and it paid off in a very difficult job market for new graduates. Our family is so proud of him. The third major milestone was that my granddaughter Sophie accepted an offer to attend Claremont McKenna and to play basketball at a stellar university with a great campus, great wholesome vibe and great young people especially Sophie's future teammates. Our family is blessed and we have extraordinary gratitude for all of these wonderful milestones.

I am not so sure there was a major milestone save for my 80th birthday celebrated with the help of my family. I am still relevant and involved in all the family activity and business. While the mother of my children is aging, she is becoming a focus for planning the next steps. She is chronologically younger, but aging faster. Everyone is involved in all aspects of our aging which is comforting. I continue to become more aware of how short life is.

Hagai got married! Gal is about to have a baby! I didn't get to go to the wedding because of the war, which broke my heart. I do hope to get down to Florida and see everyone -- including the new baby -- this winter, and also to finally go back to Israel.

I have watched my mom follow her passions in establishing her retirement career as a yoga instructor. I am in awe of this woman who will never quit putting so much of herself into her community. It gives me hope for my future because I can always change my path. On the flip side, I saw my father lose his favorite person, my grandma Brandy. I have never heard him so broken. I saw him retreat farther away from the little society he keeps and his fear of death introducing burden onto others. I think his care for her in her final month was admirable. I wish I had been able to tell her what she meant to me. I will always keep her handwriting close.

My daughter married a wonderful man and I am SO happy for them! They had each previously been in relationships that didn’t last. He is very loving and kind. I deeply respect him!

Husband booked a role for the first time in a couple years and had a great experience being back on set. We’ve been fasting and praying together and growing spiritually in this time to accept and surrender to what Christ wants for our family during the dry seasons, to lean and depend on Him more, and it makes this success even sweeter. Things are tough for even well known actors in Hollywood right now, so we count our blessings.

My daughter turned 16. She hasn't asked about driving in a while, though. Mostly it means that she's allowed to make her own health decisions, and the government has stopped sending money to support her (child survivor benefits).

The major milestone for me and my family was my wife and I getting married. Despite eloping I still think this was important to both my wife and I as well as our families.

My daughter started school! And just like that, my stay at home full time job had a major shift. Now, I'm not full time care taking in a hands on way, but I do have this time to manage our household and lives. Working with unstructured time is always a challenge for me, but I'm trying my best to use it wisely. And I started thyroid medication which has been life changing! I have clarity of thought and more energy. I'm in a better mood and happier. I'm grateful for this solution so I can show up for my family, friends, and myself in such a better way.

Our son was born. Of love, brought here early, yet late in life, so giving and so gentle, subtle in receiving. I struggled to adapt after a process of giving birth that was seamless — in the sense that my efforts were a joy. I landed in the land of motherhood. I feel a profound need to develop my courage. To seize the day. To know another with all my relationship skills. And never have I felt more swings up and down in this quest. I’m feeling rocky and rowdy when it comes to my being, as a human being, rather than a “human doing.” I do go around all day like a Tasmanian angel. I dote and fret and bless his little, 4-month old keppe. And I have to transition to a career now-ish, with wonderment at how I will drop him off with kinder akin. This will be to go make our world a better place. Or at least in the attempt— For him, because of him and with a renewed vigor. And courage please. I pray for the sticky kind of courage.

a year of milestones. engagement, graduation, sibling wedding era. m & b possible separation the most heart-wrenching milestone of all-- and can you even call it a milestone if there is not a date on which to observe it? if it's a slow unravelling, a slow burn but in a bad way? the year everything fell apart for them.

I have not had a relationship with my sister and my three nephews for nearly 20 years. we used to hear about other family’s breakups and dramas but we never imagined anything like that could happen to us. So after my mother died, in desperate loneliness and poor judgment, our father a control freak sociopath. This was the beginning of our family slowly splitting apart at the seams, the crumbs of love left behind like powder from the crush of a steel-tied workbook. So this year I decided to look at the obits to see if my uncle was still alive. In fact, there was no notice of his death in any newspaper locally or otherwise. I found a notice about him on a site from a scientific organization of which he had been a part. He was admired and respected as a scientist. To me, he was schmucky uncle. Rude, disinterest in anything about me. His son was an ex-biker covered in skull and crossbones and other tattoos. His son who molested me when I was about 9, who threatened to kill me when I was 14 and stole our grandfather’s red and blue prescription capsules. His daughter was treated as highly intellectual. She always needed to be right. She constantly annoyed my father b With her need to comment on everything. She was cold, misconstrued what was said, had one friend and, to my knowledge, never had an intimate relationship. I also learned that my middle nephew chose not to have any communication with me other than the annual birthday message on Facebook. So I had to unfriendly him. None if what I’ve written is earth-shattering. While my writing might not directly answer today’s question, it has allowed me reflect on part of my very dysfunction relations. And closer to understanding how we arrived at this point in our lives.

Our daughter had her bat mitzvah this year. It was exciting and stressful, and one family member was very negative during and after the event. As unpleasant as that was, I've been trying to reflect on how well our daughter did, and how happy everyone else was at the event.

Mi hermana ha estado planteando que ya no quiere cuidar a mi mamá. A mí me llena de estrés horrible. No quiero verme en la situación de quedarme sola en esta titánica tarea. Igual mi hermana no hace nada más que quejarse. No plantea un plan. No busca efectivamente alternativas. Solo avienta su estrés como si esperara que la providencia o yo lo resolviéramos.

Nothing major happened in my family

My sister and I worked through some, albeit minor, conflict but it feels like a major milestone because many people don’t have conflict resolution skills & can’t hold care and how they feel at the same time. I feel more confident and secure not only in my relationship with my sister but also with myself and others.

Step daughter moved in to work locally and go to school. Lots of patience and buying and finish out an ADU for her to live in.

Sorry. Back to the death of my mother. She died on Rosh Hashanah a year ago, today. A week later our great niece was born and four months later, our grandson arrived. Both families chose versions of mom’s name for their kids. I feel comforted and surprisingly honoured.

My sister got engaged and my partner and I are going ring shopping THIS WEEK! We’re growing up and in our 30s and planning marriages and it’s so exciting. I’m as excited for my sister as I am for myself because I’m officiating her wedding, and by the time I answer this question next year she will be married!

My aunt died of a very rare form of cervical cancer, and I didn't have a chance to properly say goodbye (she died the night before I was due to visit). She was my favorite aunt, and I wish I'd been able to tell her in person how much she's meant to me over the years.

My mother died in August 2026 so this was the first year in 33 that she was not physically present at our family Rosh Hashanah table and it was hard even though my daughter prepared all Omi,'s favorites dishes like paprika goulash, etc it was a sad night for me but I tried to console myself that from now on, she will still be with us just in a different way.

My spouse and I have separated. Tonight is my first night alone. I am bone-tired, and I am so happy to be in my own company. I made myself dinner. I'm watching a movie. The relief I feel breaks my heart.

Right now, I'm going through something major, with my husband. He had a stroke about 4 weeks ago. He has been recovering quickly. I went to the hospital every day, to comfort him, hold his hand, talk to the doctors. Now he's home! He's sleeping now but progressing a lot for what he went through. I'm helping as best as I can. I am so tired though. I need to learn to take good care of myself through all this. I'm grateful for everyone's prayers for him, and for me. I feel much closer to God through all this. All I can do is have faith that things will get better and since I've seen so much progress it encourages me.

My sister-in-law is being treated for cancer and is just about a year in. Whilst she is still alive, her quality of life is diminished as she has spent nearly a year in hospital and the time at home has been limited and stressful. This has put a huge strain on my husband, our niece and the family. Travel plans have had to be changed, anxiety levels spike every time the phone rings and my husband is under an enter out amount of pressure at work - a family business - as he has taken on his sister’s work as well

Conditional one IMO: Our kid is finally dating the right person. I hope. Time will tell if it’s a life mate thing.

As I write this, my childhood family is (predictably) being torn apart. The husband of my very mentally ill sister is being prodded to divorce her. The prodding comes from her son (my nephew), who wants revenge for all the travails that befell him while growing up in a very unhappy home. My sister's husband inherited $3.5M a few years after they were married, and my nephew is trying to cut her out of all that money. Mind you, this is the 22-year old nephew who graduated from high school...but has done nothing since ("failure to launch"). He is throwing his proverbial weight around because he has my sister's husband wrapped around his finger and, therefore, has the money behind him. My mother has said, ostensibly, that she will not leave my sister on the street. My mother has the greatest long-term-care policy ever - $712/day for life, with no expiration. However, she will not go into assisted living if my sister is left wanting. She would try to take a 1-bedroom apartment with my sister. From where the rent money would come, much less food and other expenses, is very much a question. I have mixed feelings here. On the one hand, my parents (my father should rest-in-peace, though I doubt he ever will) have made a ton of mistakes, which have contributed to this situation. They constantly fought my sister's battles for her, so she never learned how to make her own way. When things went south for her with her first marriage, she did not have the toolbox to extract herself from despair. That is just the tip-of-the-iceberg of the bad decisions. So my sympathy absolutely has a limit. On the other hand, no matter the circumstances, I will not stand by idly while my mother (and sister) winds up on the street. I am not concerned about the quality of their residence - they reap what they show. It's a terrible thing to say about your childhood nuclear family, but such is the conflicted nature of this situation.

My daughter started high school. I now feel like I have even less free time, because I'm aware that she leaves before the other two, and if I want to see her I need to leap out of bed. But I'm also aware that she will need to offload about her day more than ever, so I need to be around, present, listening, all that. Very aware of my impact on the kids this year.

My great niece graduates from Sarah Lawrence College with her BA. I am so proud of her! I attend her graduation ceremony and meet her boyfriend and his parents. It is a joyful trip to New York, despite the difficulty with my brother in law, his churlishness and sarcastic negativity casting a gloom and uncertainty over travel and a place to stay. In the end with mindfulness and care I have a wonderful experience, and a good visit where generosity begets generosity and more love.

J started preschool last fall. Having her somewhere else, not with us or mom, is really good. Despite the fact that she just started year 2, it's still a hard transition for her -- she's still a velcro kiddo who never wants to be away from me, so that's brought some stress. But she is getting more confident and it gives me a little more breathing room.

I guess we're in a big milestone right now. Moving into a house! I can't wait to not have to deal with bugs, and leaky ceilings, and noisy neighbors. I know it will be more expensive, but if we can manage ourselves pretty well, we might get another dog by next year!

A major milestone that happened with my family this past year was my trip to Israel with my sister. Before the trip, I was honestly a little unsure about what it would be like to travel together for two weeks. We haven’t always gotten along on trips, and we can both be moody at times, so I wondered how we would handle spending that much time together. What I didn’t expect was just how much I would rely on my sister throughout the experience. There were moments when I felt anxious, and she was there for me, supporting me and helping me through those moments. Having her by my side made the trip even more meaningful, and I realized how grateful I am to have her as my sister. We created memories together that I will cherish forever, from volunteering and exploring Israel to simply experiencing such a meaningful place together as two proud Jews. This trip brought us closer and reminded me how special our bond is. I couldn’t be more grateful that we had the opportunity to share such an incredible experience together.

We began talking in earnest about all moving in together. This changes all our future plans significantly.

Well, the biggest milestone would be Jenny’s pregnancy, but I’ve already discussed that. Instead, I think it’s me going on Medicare! Hard to deny that you are a senior citizen where you’re on Medicare, and so I’m gradually coming to terms with my age and my aging. I really can’t complain - I’m healthy, I’m live, and live a wonderful life. But I’m also getting old and it has weighed on my mind.

Fortunately there haven’t been any major milestones in our family. We’re seniors who retired several years ago, don’t have children, and are contented with the life we lead. In our neighborhood major milestones involve either an ambulance or a a coroner. Don’t know if this counts, but I’ve noticed we’re in life’s sweet spot. Each passing day is significant, offering opportunities to enjoy things once taken for granted. While somewhat frightened by the growing tumult, and angered by the cowardice of those entrusted with the commonweal, life has taught us that all things will pass. For this moment, we’re healthy, content, and safe. God willing, I’ll be able to say the same at this time next year.

There are a few milestones. My husband retired, my son started college and living independently for the first time and beginning graduate school and my daughter having a direct path of a career journey.

My parents turned 85 this year, well outliving the lifespan of their parents and for my dad, his brothers. I’ve done quite a lot of work over the past 7 years to get to a place of gratitude with my parents. This has enabled me to enjoy the time I have with them and appreciate their support.

My niece finished her first year of college. And yet I haven’t aged a day.

My son had an internship. That was great. He had volunteered at AMNH previously. He applied and was interviewed for a job at each institution. Both were very similar to what he had been doing. He didn't get either job. It's so hard to see your child despondent. I think I was affected more than he was. He's trying so hard to be employed and the stars just haven't lined up for him. I feel so sad. I feel devastated. And I can't fix this. He wouldn't want me to. It's crushing.

I turned 80. I don't feel much different from the way I felt when I was 60, except life around me changed. At 60, I was married, able to do lift a case of water. At 70, I was still going to the Phillies' games with my husband and occasionally taking our granddaughters with. At 75, I was widowed, again. Still going to ballgames with the girls, snowbirding. I fly, my son and/or daughter or grands drive my car with the dogs. Now that I'm 80, I'm not sure that I'll go to FL this year. My daughter's cancer has spread, and she's on a chemo regimen every 3 weeks. Depending on how she does will dictate whether or not I leave PA. There is a possibility that I will have to make the 1100 mile trip myself, without another driver. If I have to, I will. Turning 80 has blown my mind. I don't feel different. I don't think I act too differently. I did give up my partial-season tickets to the Phillies. Girls getting older and probably not as interested in going as before.

My cousin whom I was very close to died. That involved two long trips from Hawaii to Baltimore to visit her at the end of her life and then again for her memorial service. This affected me in a bit surprising of a way in that it was very fulfilling for me to make those 2 trips (spite the hassle of long, distance travel twice). I felt a sense of accomplishment and meaning. Also, a wonderful way to connect with others in my family and to learn that beyond grief, the biggest emotion surrounding death and memorial services is love!

At age 29, my younger brother started dating his first serious girlfriend, who he will likely marry. She and her family are a lot, and they’re different than us in many ways. But he is happy with her, and our relationship has got infinitely better this past year. I can see how much he’s matured and that he is really working on himself. I’ve also realized some things about my mom, and I’m becoming closer to my dad and stepmom, for which I’m incredibly grateful. My family will always be there for me, and that isn’t the case for all.

Em and I had our 1 year wedding anniversary. I's made our marriage feel stable and established. It makes me feel grown up.

My pre-teen chose a new name and let us know new pronouns and changed schools and it's been a lot of transition but I think it's left me feeling closer to my kid and excited about who xe's becoming. I've had multiple opportunities to learn that I am not as ill-equipped to show up for an older kid as I thought I would be, given that I have no good template from my own adolescence and childhood. Some of how I've handled certain moments has allowed me to witness for myself how far I've come in my own healing work.

Broken Pelvis x2 & sacrum -- Chris took care of me. The love shown to me. Increased recognition of my weaknesses and strengths Realizing I'm more fragile than I think Continually thanking God for how He protects me Knowing that God is My Protector in more ways and times than I could ever imagine.

My son’s wife left him. That was an ugly moment for me but I am sure that for him it was much worse. The positive thing is that now we are much more close and I go to see him twice a year.

It finally sunk in this year that my husband is truly retired. It's been going well so far. I thought I'd be more anxious about money or worried that he'd become bored and/or depressed, but so far, so good. It seems possible it could continue to go well.

Everyone moved - Brandon Kirsten and Michelle all bough new houses and moved. We also have started to sell out house. A lot of moving and planning and house changes

My dad is dying. He might be dead by day ten of this. I had to wrestle with my siblings, which has been better, worse, better again. I also have cancer. At this point, it should be freeing for dad to be lifted from his struggles. And, honestly, freeing for me to let go of that struggle, too

My great-niece became pregnant. In some ways there's no impact. In others it confirms that I'm getting old and that I have no children.

As said for #2, Harmon completed Eagle. So now he's done with scouting which was a big part of my life, doing it with he and Kirpal for 8 years. So, now what? This summer and fall I'm traveling a bit and will do some of my own camping. But I will need to figure out what other activities to pick up, now that I'll have more time on my hands.

lucia has gone from mci to begin dementia horribly confusing on how to care for someone who refuses care, yells and argued

Is it a milestone to have survived another year of the continuation of Trump’s reign and to be able to mark off one more year? If we survive his cabinet and sycophantic followers, will we ever be able to right our path to democracy?

I feel like telling our son that he is donor-conceived was a major family milestone this year. Both my husband and I had so much anxiety about it beforehand, and the conversation actually went very well (I think aided by the picture book I wrote and illustrated explaining it.) But this is of course just the beginning of the conversation, not the end. It was a big hurdle for us as a couple to get to the point where we felt comfortable talking to our son about his donor. But we have many more major conversations ahead of us as we navigate all the complicated decisions yet to be made: what to do with our remaining IVF embryos, whether to donate them and whether to be in touch with their recipient parents or the future children they might create, whether to be in touch with the families of our son's genetic half siblings. I feel like this is a question I'll still be answering next year. I hope however we answer it, all three of us feel at peace about it.

My beloved brother-in-law's shocking & rapid decline from Parkinson's. As a result, I've grown closer to my sister. I'm sure there were more milestones, highs & lows...maybe I'll come back to this question and include those.

I left the business family and oriented myself toward's my partner and their family, to some degree of priority over my own family. This has been lovely in some ways but I look back and see missed opportunities to be present in my own roots. I have had much more space and freedom to restructure my life as I wish, and am reorienting the idea of family in response to that, and am happy continuing to apply Anarchism wherever I feel lost.

Dad's Parkinson's diagnosis was over a year ago, but the impact of it has been huge across the last year and has precipitated the acceleration of the aging process for him. It's really making me think about mortality. I've distanced myself more from the family home after Simon was vile again last Christmas, but I've tried to make sure I'm still in regular phone contact with mum and dad so as not to lose time with them.

Our eldest grandchild turned 16 and got her drivers license! She is very responsible and beautiful inside and out!!

Getting closer with my sister again. After my mother died - which is still being felt and dealt with and acknowledged - my father lapsed in his parental duties. I lost support and essential love from him, but I gained it in my sister. We got closer and tighter and I’m so grateful and thankful for her heart and unconditional love. I had difficult surgeries in the last few months and even though she couldn’t physically be with me, she was *here* and with me every day. My best friend lost her brother in a terror attack years ago and she told me to always appreciate my sister, even when we fought, didn’t get along or had some troubled times. Because you don’t know… that had stuck with me and in the last year I’ve really been able to appreciate and value unconditional, non judgmental sisterly love.

My wife and I moved to Portugal. It has been wonderful. Retirement was an adjustment, but now I love it. I do miss my boys, our house, neighbor Jane, but recently went back and saw them all. I love our house here. I am trying dilligently to learn Portuguese

We bought a house in Florida! I didn’t have the money down or good credit score but God blessed us with a beautiful home that already has built in equity. Blessed !

I spoke to my father again. It felt really good to tell him how I felt about so much, and for him not to reject it but even apologise to me. It healed me in a number of ways.

I've continued art classes and am very happy. I was finally able to get rid of my obnoxious inner critic and t has opened my mind to learning new things without frustration.

No family. A close friend got married. I see them less, which makes me sad.

My 36 year old daughter moving back home. She has 3 dogs that I’m allergic to and she also has addictions. I’m near the end of my rope

I think my exchange to a different school made me be a lot less at home which kind of meant that I’m not always gonna attend every single thing and I don’t think this change was positive necessarily but it changed the dynamic I believe a little bit. I’m still very close with my sisters obviously and with my parents, but I think it changed and I also matured and it was high school which is also kind of a big difference in addition in the past two months my mom was diagnosed with cancer and went through treatment and that also definitely changes a little bit of the family dynamic where we stayed very strong and it wasn’t as difficult as you imagine it once it becomes your reality. It definitely feels different and we worked through it as a family I believe very well with support and positivity and everything.

My wife kicked me out and it's the second worst thing that's ever happened to me and today in particular it's affecting me because we're going to divorce and I am so sad and lonely living alone.

The biggest milestone with my family was me coming out to them at 49. Everyone has been even more loving and supportive than I can have even imagined, and it has been amazing. I'm so thrilled that I am being fully loved and accepted as my authentic self.

Im pregnant and will be married in 2027. Yikes!!

The death of Benny has severely affected me. I don’t want to do anything with the holidays, etc. All I want to do is cocoon with my partner and our two fur-babies.

My husband celebrated his 80th birthday in August. We had a happy friends, neighbors, Quakers and Buddhist Recovery group party! He is a remarkable 80 year old. He goes to the gym regularly and lifts an amazing amount of weight, rides his bike, is active in our Quaker Meeting and in his Buddhist Recovery Group, takes Spanish and bass guitar lessons! Effect on me - admiration, continuing to try to live each day to the fullest and love this man to the best of my ability.

My daughter graduated from college! I am so proud of her and how she has grown over the last few years. She also decided to move back in with me for a little bit until she figured out what the next steps in her life will be. It is both wonderful and challenging, because I am now immediately privy to her moods. When she is down, I also tend to be more anxious. That will be the challenge going forward - making sure I remember what her responsibility versus mine is.

It will be in my family's future. Fortunately we did not have anything that affected all the family last year. It was just the year where we have the same problem with all the world. Wars and hate in the world and antisemitism

My mother's physical well-being has significantly declined, especially her mobility. She is also fiercely independent so I and my siblings feel between a rock and a hard place. It will be interesting to read this answer next year and see where we're at then

What I feared was that our grown kids would think I wasn’t doing enough for their father. So imagine my surprise when my daughter expressed resentment that I was seeing to his needs at her expense and that of the grandkids — I missed my grandson’s 8th grade graduation, and my granddaughter’s 5th-grade theater performance. You really can’t win.

The death of my father-in-law still has a hold on my family, primarily with my wife and her aging mother. I know we can't get back to Chicago fast enough so she takes trips back home as often as she can. On a positive note, my older son graduating college and landing his first job is a recent monumental achievement, with his brother shortly behind him in HS. I'm reaching for something because other than those, I don't really have an answer.

The major milestone was bar mitzvah. This affected me by after this I had Saturday Sundays, Wednesdays, and Fridays open.

My daughter started her final year of high school last month. Three years ago, when she started high school, the assumption was that she would follow the typical path to college/university, preferably out of the South, possibly even out of the country, and I would segue into my empty nest phase. That is not how it has played out. Due to "reasons" that became evident throughout her high school years, she will need a different path for her next steps into post-secondary education and adulthood. And that also means that my plans for the next however many years have to shift as well. I'm still wrapping my brain around this and dealing with the complicated conflicted feelings about this.

I lost my driver's license in February due to medical reason. It made it hard on my family because I have older parents they have to take me to work and such. It made hard for me too because I cannot come and go as I please.

My mother died. It remains to be seen how it will affect me, but it has definitely unsettled my brother, who has been writing to me and kind of pestering me a lot. I'm sure he's feeling unmoored, even though he hadn't seen my mother in probably 8 years, since he's on the other side of the country. I've been doing everything, and it's hard for me not to just beg him to give me a break. I'm looking forward to having access to some more money to have things done to the house to get it ready to sell (I hope.)

I celebrated my 70th birthday in January. All of my kids came into town to help me celebrate, and they collaborated with one of my close friends to throw me an intimate party that included some of my oldest friends, many of whom traveled here from out of town. Not only was it the highlight of my year, but it made me feel very loved and brought me a tremendous amount of joy that has carried over into my life ever since. It was the most special birthday I have ever had.

Well my family they are all far away and they aren’t exactly the kinds of people who have huge milestones every year. In a way I’m grateful for that because I’m not exactly the biggest fan of huge things happening all of the time either. Honestly the biggest thing that happened this year that I could think of is the death of my cousin Jonathan. He had cerebral palsy and was heavily disabled since he was born. He had many medical crises in his life and there was always the chance there that he was going to die at a young age. I hadn’t seen him for 20 years almost when he died but for some reason when I found out he had passed I felt a great relief because he had been through so much pain. I’m not really close with that side of my family, but it made me reach out them.

Cleanup the house. So many artifacts of our kids childhood. We paired it down to one artifact per year.

My sister's 70th birthday it was great to reconnect with my family that is so far away it reminded me that this is important

My mom's sister passed away. I've not been to Ecuador in thirty years. All I've heard from my mom's side of the family in the years since has been negative. Yet here, a thaw in relations.

I turned 95 My children gave me a big birthday party. There was a big family reunion for this occasion . There were 45 people in attendance, I got all dressed up. There are pictures in my file. There was a big get together the nite before, It was a very fun party

Jordan married Jamie 5/9/26. Made me so happy… every pot needs a lid… hopefully Jamie will be worthy of Jordan 🙏

We lost a dog, she died the day we returned from a trip (we think she waited for us). It was hard to recover from, especially for our other dog, she was missing her ffriend. We fostered a 1.5 year old puppy and last month we decided to adopt her. She's a bit crazy, but we all love her.

A major milestone was having Bob in ICU at the hospital. He has bounced back, but it brought into stark focus how neither of us has many more years ahead of us. I can't bear the thought of losing him.

My niece got married. Funnily enough on what would have been my wedding anniversary. It was a lovely wedding and I was ok, which was good. It was right at the start of the summer holidays though which changed a lot of how I felt about everything. Feels a bit last day of innocence

A few negative things have happened with my family this year, though I am very grateful none are tragedies. First, my stepmother got really ill and became bedridden in late October, which made my dad a 24-7 caregiver. That has decreased his quality of living quite a bit. Second, my nephew is going through some changes within himself resulting in him cutting my sister out of his life. This has come as a shock to all of us, but it is also not really surprising. His father cheated on my sister while she was pregnant and after she had my nephew. She divorced him, and soon after that he got involved with another woman again, and was never there for my nephew. My sister was a single mother for the first 7-8 years of his life, and the two of them were inseparable except when she had boyfriends. She got remarried to a man that made her laugh, but who was inexplicably harsh on my nephew, and they had two more kids and stayed married until my nephew was 12-13. Through this whole thing, his real father came in and out disappointing my nephew every time until my nephew finally said he never wanted to see him again. He moved away and tried to live his own life, but after a while he moved back to our home state, and my sister started helping him out financially. She has been involved in his life like it or not because of that, and now he feels he needs his independence. His approach, rather than to hash it out, is to just avoid her. It has angered and upset me, because she doesn't deserve that treatment, and she is devastated. And then my mother got involved.....more drama. Third, my wife has a strained relationship with her mother, but her mother has other idea. We went for a visit to celebrate her dad's 80th birthday, and we only went because her dad asked her to be there. She otherwise had no interest in going. We had a wonderful time up until the last night, when we got into a political discussion. We are all pretty much on the same page about stuff, but somehow my wife put herself on the opposite side of the rest of us. She already has issues dealing with triggers, and this time, old patterns between her and her mother emerged, and things blew up with me in the middle. It has caused us a lot of stress, and it saddens me to think that my wife has no interested in maintaining a relationship with her mother, who I get along with really well, by the way. Anyway, there has been a lot of stressful family stuff this year. The parallels with the "mothers" is certainly interesting. No one has died, but the emotional baggage has piled up!

I ran away to Brighton and lived homeless for 5 weeks. This had the knockon effect of landing me in my current location, Somerset villa, complex rehabilitation unit. I engaged in a number of very dangerous activities during that period culminating with a thieving spree and an assault on a shomrim member

We saw the house and broke up the family thanks to my sister who gives us no help no joy no support. She is so selfish.

We moved to Austin! Had a miscarriage Austin has been amazing, slowly growing our roots there. The miscarriage was really sad, it also made me so grateful for modern medicine and for Courtney being okay. In the last that could have killed her. So It made me even more grateful for her and for the love we get to share. God blesses me so much more than I deserve

We lost the boys this year and it feels really empty. Its like there is a cold wind where there use to be warmth.

David & I are selling our share of Vermont property to Andy, & asked 2 brothers to each take responsibility for host one of the family gatherings

Jenna turning 26. Embraced with the usual anxiety around the operational to love around the existential.

ellen and i got married and i couldnt be happier. she is truly my best friend. it was such a lovely day, she looked so beautiful. i was just so happy.

My little brother turned 40 this yr. His daughter started kindergarten. It’s going to be two yrs since Chris and I met on our first date, so we will see how all this turns out this next coming yr.

I turned 75, which is amazing. Happy to say I’m in good health and in a good situation. My youngest sister returned home from Britain, has achieved notice for her art, including some of it shown in galleries, and some pieces purchased by a university gallery for permanent display. She has been featured in magazines and journals as well, and gives back by teaching a class in her medium once a week. She has also met a partner with whom she is highly compatible. I am very happy to have my sister home, settled, and receiving well-deserved recognition for some beautiful artwork.

I feel like I keep answering the same question over the and over. I got my first job as a interfaith chaplain. I'm getting a paycheck again! I'm a professional, not a student. It feels good. The job isn't exactly what I imagined, but sometimes you walk through the door that is open and it always teaches you something. I'm learning patience. Tolerance for the unexpected.

No big milestones. My older son is living nearby and working (yay!) My younger son is living across the country and almost starving (boo!). My sister and brother-in-law continue to travel year round. My 94 year old mother-in-law is still hanging in there. My husband and I are happily (almost completely) retired. There have not been any major changes.

My father passed away on July 26. It was a long time coming. I was with him when he died. My friends and I formed a circle around his bed. I had my hand on his shoulder. They held hands around us. We watched him draw his last breaths. I don't have words to contain how this has affected me. It touches everything in my life. Now both of my parents are gone. I don't have siblings, nor do I have kids. I shouldered the burdens of my father's last years largely alone. I am relieved to have that weight mostly gone. I am sad that he is gone. I am hopeful that he is no longer suffering. I have no idea what my future holds now that I no longer have to invest so much of my time and energy into keeping him safe and secure.

Still think of Dad dying as this past year (though really in earlier 2025). Mostly miss him when there is something I want to ask or tell him. Mom almost never even mentions him. Do think Mom is still hanging on to live longer than his 101 plus one month year. And, my first grandkid!! L'Dor v'Dor

I fell and broke my shoulder. It really put me back with working out and stop swimming. But it helped me re-prioritize my life as far as getting rid of old stuff that doesn’t serve me. I also lost my best friend because we were supposed to go out that night that I fell and I had to go to the hospital . When he called to check on me, I told him I was in a lot of pain and he said I’ve got no sympathy for you. I hung up on him and told him not to call me and he has not.

Not sure if milestone but mold remediation in our home was a huge event for us. Had to throw away most of our belongings, spent a huge amount of money on getting rid of the mold, rebuilding our home , replacing items and treatment for my symptoms - none of which were covered by insurance. My husband and I lived apart for 6 months due to our jobs while work was being done. It made me realize what was really important and what we really needed to live comfortably once we moved back in. We are not replacing everything . It feels freeing to not have a lot of clutter and things around us. Being very intentional on what comes back in to our home. Glad to be feeling like myself again

While the clues have been slowly accumulating over the last several years, Joan had some tests this year that indicated evidence of some brain dysfunction associated with early dementia. Given Joan's high intelligence and executive function, her memory and cognitive loss still puts her in the normal-functioning category for her age. But those who know her best have recognized subtle behavior changes. Age slows us all down in physical and mental ways that are unique to each of us; maybe to counterbalance this, there is sometimes an increase in spiritual acceptance and gratitude for the life we have had. Certainly, reaching age 74 without life-threatening trauma is cause for joy. Many do not live as long, have as healthy a history, or have an intact family. Gratitude for all this is a daily practice. No single day marked this, but tests confirmed what I thought. I had been reticent to discuss this with family and friends because I didn't want them to start analyzing her behavior if they thought everything was normal. But once Joan mentioned it as her concern, I supported her in pursuing medical attention. The effect on me is varied. In one way, I am glad my suspicions were confirmed, but sorry that I was right. I hope new treatments will slow or stop the progression of whatever is happening. I also have concerns that my cognitive decline is just a bit behind her, and if we both go down this route, the burden of managing our lives will fall to our children. So one track is to try and appreciate what we have today, do as much as we can together while we can and not sweat the small stuff. There is no reason to 'sweat the small stuff' anymore. I think about how integrated Joan is into my life and satisfaction, a transition to caretaker will change that dynamic, and then if there is a time that I am alive without her, I will have a big challenge to overcome. If I don't survive her, then her care will fall to others, and she might not be able to stay in this house by herself for too long. I think either way our finances will be Okay; we will be spending down our nest egg quicker since our income will decrease through the loss of one SS check and less of the NPERS pension. Like the shofar on Rosh Hashanah, it is a wakeup call that cuts through the fog of immortality. We know we are going to die, lose function, and we have a hard time finding joy in that, any medical condition that is 'incurable' is a wakeup call to live better today. That is how I face this, most of the time.

When he died pretty much, everyone disappeared a friend who wasn’t there while he was sick has shown up and my little sister hasn’t left me alone since. This has affected me greatly. I am a different person. This has been miserable. I feel like I have even less friends andfamily now my circle is smaller.

There is always something happening with my family, always major, it makes me emotional. It just goes to show that I might need someone by my side. My heart hurts.

I sold the cottage and started renovation of the garage apartment. But first, I cleaned them both out. Sold, burned, donated, threw away years of accumulation. Furniture, keepsakes, projects, boxes of paper. I’d hung onto things that I may need or want in the future. A way to avoid regret and insulate myself from future poverty. I feel lighter as I clear things out. I have more options, more freedom when I no longer need to sit atop of my hoard of faux gold. Although, so much so much stuff remains. I am far from finished.

Three children have entered college. Happy but very stretched.

They still live in my home for free. Nothing has changed.

Michelle’s husband Barak realized his lifelong dream of owning a gaming store; The Treasured Realm: a space built for adventurers of all kinds! On-line for now – a permanent physical site next year! Michelle became the Executive Director of Aleph: The Jewish Renewal Movement that forges visionary leaders, cultivates sacred community, and weaves a global movement to reveal God's presence in the daily lives of all humanity. Another Michelle event - she gave birth to a baby boy for a gay couple in October. Not "our" family, but should be mentioned anyway.

We potentially had our daughter’s last college summer here. She may be back—she plans to be a teacher so there’s hope she’ll come home for the summer after graduation and work at her usual camp. But she may not. As I have said to her, these milestones make me a little sad, but it’s a different kind of sad than I’d feel if she wasn’t turning into an independent adult.

The biggest milestone that I can think of is that my niece and my nephew both graduated from high school, so all the grandchildren are beginning the "adult" phase of their lives.

Both my niece K. and my nephew Brian, who I am close with got married this year. I have celebrated many milestones with them and was able to attend both weddings. It is a bit of a passing of the torch, though since we are now among the older generation of aunts and uncles, it’s a realization that time is passing.

Don died. We sold their apartment. I’m sad and I miss him a lot. I’m trying to remember that I’m okay. That I’m a good person. That I add value.

Last year very much focused on us moving to Gilpin Mews - and honestly I cannot believe we've been living here for over 18 months. Will still absolutely can't believe it's ours, love the little community on the street, love being so close to the park, loving just simply coming home to the place. Last year I also was clearly overly focused on the mortgage, and I can't lie that that still sits heavy in my chest. I do wonder if we did indeed make a mistake extending ourselves, but I can honestly argue both sides of the coin. I also trust past-me that I did all the pro'ing and con'ing, and made a decision I thought was both best for us and we could live with. So my reflection to myself is that I do need to accept my decision, stop being so forensic about it (because the news flash is - you can't change the past), and reallocate that brain space to focusing on enjoying where I am in life. So the major milestone that happened was losing my job at CRH. To the wider world I tell them I was made redundant (which is correct). To those I trust, I tell them I was fired (which is correct and not correct). Hurting myself with my own words seems to take the sting out of it somehow. 4 March. And lo and behold, would you believe that my relationship improved with Alwyn magically happened after I left? Turns out That Company was actually creating really bad juju in our home, and as I've now had space to look back on my time there in the last year, I realise now just how utterly fucking miserable I was. Up down left right - every part of my being was unhappy, and that must have been having a pretty nasty effect on 193A. So we are in a worlds better place now. I still think I've won the lotto. On a final note, Mum has decided to move back to the UK after Molly passes over the rainbow bridge. I am so glad. We can use the money from the sale of her home to buy a perfect 1 bedroom nearby, so she continues to feel autonomous and independent, but still has her family nearby. I told her only today that I'd always take care of her, but I wouldn't be doing it from Brisbane. I'm just not moving back to that place. But all and all, Mum will be far happier in Europe where she can touch all the bloody ABCs her heart desire.

Both h my parents overcame some major health issues - my dad had a valve replaced in his heart and my mom had a few of her lower vertebrae fused. Before the operations I saw a significant decrease in quality of life and was preparing for this to be the new normal moving forward. But both of the have bounced back remarkably well. Which is a testament to both their own and their genetic fortitude. Still, it served as good motivation to prioritize time together with them while we still can.

Michael died this year in April. We sat vigil for a week. It was a good death. All my training and experiences led to this. Back in the Fall, after realizing that Will was depleted by having lunch with his dad on Fridays and that it would affect him for the rest of the weekend, I said, "Why don't we all go on Saturdays? We can have lunch at Peter Luger's, and the kids can play in the yard." What transpired was a year of true kavod and love - us for Michael and him for our family. The waiters at Peter Luger were always so happy to see us, and he would have a burger, and my kids learned to enjoy steak and an ice cream sundae. It became a ritual, a beautiful shabbat. I loved watching the kids jump in the leaves or hearing Michael shout, "Eli the soccer star, Neely, you are my sweetheart." On Christmas Day, we went to Chinese food with Dalia. We spent Thanksgiving at the Club, and I genuinely think we gave Michael a very special year with us, where he really got to know his grandchildren. He was such a trooper too. In March, he stopped coming with us to PLs, and we would go on our own, but it wasn't the same. We went on a trip to Costa Rica during Pesach, and when we came back, we saw a noticeable decline. He couldn't speak, and Steve, Susan's bf, a doctor, happened to be there and told Will his dad only had a short time to live. We camped out, driving back and forth to Great Neck. We took turns holding Michael's hand, reading to him, playing classical music, and sharing stories. He held on for 8 days or so, but it was a beautiful bonding moment for all of us. Before I left, I read Robert Frost's poem, "Nothing Gold Can Stay." It was a harrowing and sad week, but Rabbi Timoner, a feminist rabbi who went to Yale, gave his eulogy, which we felt was fitting. He died on a Monday and shiva coincided with my birthday. I watched Will do all the things for his dad and weep, and it brought us closer. The thing is, it was the goodbye I never got to give my mom, dad, or Roberta. But then again, my relationship with Michael was one of pure love. He embraced me as a daughter-in-law from day one and was always flattering and positive in my presence, and I take his spirit with me today.

Please don't take this as if I am being flippant: one of us departs while another comes through the front door. O! Hello! I was just leaving. There went the one while the other was arriving and there is the one who awakened when the other happened to be bidding adieu. We land on a tiny speck of a disc that rotates and we loosen and float off into the cosmos. Names, personalities, causes and effects, all in our minds, distracting us from the stubborn rotation of what we call the world on its axis. This has affected me far more than I should have allowed it. My heart, I remind myself, rotates on an axis of its own.

My older sister had a stroke in the Spring. She has come out from that very well but it was a strong reminder we are all getting older. Health is SO important. Preparedness too. I'm working slowly on things that need doing on both those fronts.

had the batmitsvah of my oldest grandaughter who is very special to me, and one of my daughter inlaws had breast cancer ... she is now on the mend but we are continually reminded of the highs and lows of life

Mum has just recently said that she would like to see me. She has declined my calls and visits for over two years, which has been a constant sorrow to me. Her cognition seems to be better than this time last year, but it's hard to know when I'm not there in person. I look forward to visiting her soon. Therapy with Ting has been really helpful in coping with this dynamic.

My daughter did 5 months in rehab and was doing really well. And then she relapsed. It shook me at the time, but I can now see that it has made her more grounded in her recovery.