Tag Archives: idyllic youth

On the Occasion of Emma’s 21st Birthday

A recent picture of Emma
Yesterday was a multifaceted milestone for my family and me. It was our daughter Emma’s 21st birthday (her brother Eric is 24). Both our kids are now (by most every standard) officially adults (though still not at the age 25 threshold that will allow them to rent cars and be adult counselors at Unitarian-Universalist youth community events). And since they both have their health, reasonably good jobs, a supportive circle of friends and paths forward for their lives, looks like they have both now survived their “childhood” and “adolescence”, those two iconic labels (fraught with ambivalent connotations) for phases of ones life that are not so idyllic for kids today (particularly urban kids).

Continue reading →