Thanksgiving and the Trifecta
When my best friend and I were single and in our 20’s, we referred to Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Eve as “the Trifecta.” Unlike children, retail stores and Hallmark, we were not filled with holiday cheer. In fact, we dreaded the onset of holidays. ...
read moreThe Next Sale
Have you noticed that “Christmas” sales start earlier every year? Some people—like me—might argue that there are always sales: Friends and Family at Saks, Macy’s Doorbusters, and Loyalist, Double Reward Points at Bloomingdale’s. There’s pre-Christmas and...
read morePoxy Lady
I’m trying not to scratch my head—which is very itchy—wondering how it’s possible for a woman over 50, with the slowly disintegrating knees of middle age, to contract chicken pox, a childhood disease. The good news is that my knees are resting, and I don’t need...
read moreWhen Knees Displease
If you are a still-youngish baby boomer like me (or if you think of yourself that way), it comes as a shock when body parts start to wear out. In my case, it’s my knees. (My left hip clicks occasionally, but I don’t want to think about that just yet). How dare...
read moreWedding Wonders
Do you ever imagine your daughter’s wedding? How will it be, compared to your own? Bigger or smaller? Will she wear her mother’s wedding dress or pick out one of her own? How old will she be? Of course the most important questions are: Will she ever find her...
read moreOverflowing Nest
If you’re like us and you’ve lived in the same New York City apartment for over 20 years, eventually you run out of space—especially if your adult children move back home during or after college. It doesn’t matter how many...
read morePower of Possibilities
Sometimes (but not too often) I wake up with the idea that possibilities exist to resolve problems big and small in my family and the outside world. Today was one of those days. Dare I say that I felt hopeful? I’m not even sure what “hopeful” means anymore in...
read moreGoing Buggy
What could be better than seeing my daughter start dating a handsome young man? Sarah is 22, on the autistic spectrum, and just lost more than 20 pounds. Her last (and only) boyfriend broke up with her because his parents got divorced, and he had to move to...
read moreUndiscovered Talent
What will happen to Max—and all the other talented college grads—who want to be in the entertainment business? A lucky and persistent few will succeed. Most will struggle, fail, and give up on their dreams. They’ll take whatever job they can find, or go to...
read moreSocial Insecurity
Is it possible we did too good a job of helping our daughter, Sarah, partially emerge from autism for her to qualify for disability payments? Getting supplemental Social Security Income for Sarah wasn’t going to be easy, our Disabilities Advocate, told us....
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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. 