Grandma, mommy, and me: intergenerational living

Summary of Article's First 150 Words

Total word count: 1378

– Situation –

An old song's lyrics begin:

Over the river, and through the wood,
To Grandmother's house we go . . .

Even if we update these words to:

Over the highway, and through the security gates,
To Grandmother's house we race . . .

One question is relevant, "Why are we going?" The answers need updating, too.



– Solution –

The old answer was that the family was going to a grandparent's home to celebrate Thanksgiving. Today there might be other reasons to gather under one roof — and the roof won't always be Grandma's.

A few weeks ago, our daughter and two grandchildren moved in with us because their house was for sale. The house needed to look pristine while realtors held open houses or took potential buyers on tours. Living together was a joy, but we were honest enough to admit that there were — shall we say, 'some moments'?

Our experience got me ...