Weathering Winter
Now that the holidays are behind us—and the January sales are upon us—how do we cope with all these frigid, dark days? It’s not like spring is around the corner; we still have to slog through February and March (possibly the cruelest months). Yes, I know there...
read moreInaugural Visits
No, we didn’t drop in on DeBlasio or Obama this past weekend. More exciting—to us anyway—was our inaugural visit to our son’s new home in Brooklyn. Despite the relentless rain this past Saturday, Henry and I made our first pilgrimage to Crown Heights to visit...
read moreHatching the Next Generation
Hatching the Next Generation Instead of looking back at 2014, I thought it would be more fun to look forward. What happens to new empty nesters down the road after their offspring have flown the coop? Some parents may preserve a grown up child’s room...
read moreCrazy Christmas
If you’re Jewish like me and—and not very religious—your experience of Christmas is probably very different from the traditional family holiday featured in a Norman Rockwell painting. Even if you light Hanukkah candles every night and wrap eight gifts for each...
read moreCompassionate Capitalism
Is compassionate capitalism my impossible dream? Perhaps trying to combine compassion with capitalism is like mixing oil and water. In today’s world of instant gratification, short-term profits, and “me-first-now,” the concept of compassionate capitalism...
read moreMaybe Next Year
Since my daughter Sarah was diagnosed on the autistic spectrum at age one, I’ve fought as hard as any Tiger mom to help her grow up to become as accomplished and independent as possible. Instead of striving for the “American Dream” — including owning our home—...
read moreEmpty Nest Trifecta
When I was single in my 20s, I dreaded the holiday trifecta: Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Eve. The ordeal began on Thanksgiving, when my parents cross-examined me about my social life. If I was dating anyone, they wanted to know if “the relationship...
read moreNest Lift
Despite being 50-something, I’ve allowed time and gravity to take their toll on my face. No eyelid surgery, no neck lift, no jawline lift, no Botox, no fillers, no nips or tucks of any kind for me—so far. Instead, I’m giving our home a nest lift. As many of my...
read moreElection Dejection
Growing up in the ‘60s, I believed being born American was like winning the world lottery. Our country was the wealthiest, most powerful nation on earth! (Wasn’t it?) Other nations—particularly democratic ones—respected and envied our freedom, our prosperity,...
read moreEmpty Nest Halloween
Just because your kids leave for college doesn’t mean you have to stop celebrating Halloween. You can still put a pumpkin outside and decorate your door with cottony spider-webs or a cardboard skeleton. Greeting trick-or-treaters can still be fun long after your...
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My Book
Consulting
About Marguerite
Marguerite Elisofon is a New York City writer and the author of My Picture Perfect Family, a memoir about how her family navigated life with a child on the autistic spectrum before the internet and support groups existed. She also blogs about parenting young adults and disability related issues in The Never Empty Nest. Her writing has been featured in a variety of publications, including Time and NY Metro Parents magazine, and her family’s story has been featured by the NY Post, Fox News, The Daily Mail, and on Jenny McCarthy’s Dirty Sexy Funny radio show. A Vassar graduate, Marguerite was born and raised in New York City, where she still lives with her husband, Howard, in their mostly-empty nest. She is available to speak about a wide variety of issues relating to twins, parenting, and autism. 