Bad Beginnings
"Here’s the deal,” my son Max explained last August. “It doesn’t make any sense, but in order to take Narrative Film making, I have to take Documentary first semester—even though I have no interest in documentaries. Everyone in the class has to submit a...
read moreSide Effects
As television commercials remind us constantly nowadays, there’s a panoply of prescription drugs available to combat depression, arthritis, high cholesterol, nicotine addiction, and even “erectile dysfuncton.” You name the problem, and there are often several...
read moreToward the Light
“Tell us about a time in your life when you found light in the darkness.” This was the on-line invitation to authors all over the world to submit stories and poetry to “Write for Light,” an anthology of short stories and poetry. The publisher’s mission is to...
read moreSixty Five
For the past year, my husband, Henry, has been humming the Beatles' song, “When I’m 64.” In a profound state of anxiety, he sings: When I get older, losing my hair, many years from now, will you still be sending me a valentine, birthday greetings, bottle of...
read moreSixty Five
For the past year, my husband, Henry, has been humming the Beatles' song, “When I’m 64.” In a profound state of anxiety, he sings: When I get older, losing my hair, many years from now, will you still be sending me a valentine, birthday greetings, bottle of...
read moreDisabilities on Center Stage
On Sunday, June 30th The New York Times ran an article about a unique theatre company on the Lower East Side, Apothetae—named for the place where Spartans supposedly abandoned weak or disabled babies. Founded by Gregg Mozgala, an actor with cerebral palsy,...
read moreThe Perpetual Child
While I may lament (along with legions of other parents), that my “adult” children are growing up so slowly it’s like watching paint dry, at least there’s hope they will one day be independent. Not so with our dog, Sparky, who remains a perpetual child even at...
read moreFull House Father’s Day
This Father’s Day, our full house was more like a poker game than a TV sitcom. In other words, my husband was dealt a pretty good hand this year (maybe not a straight flush or four of a kind, but the next best thing). Unlike Mother’s Day, both kids are home. ...
read moreThe Mommy Vortex
Now that both Sarah and Max are home from college, I’m getting sucked back into the mommy vortex. Yes, I know my twins are supposed to be adults at age 22. In fact, ever since they turned 18, doctors and educators have refused to talk to me without their...
read moreHouse Half Full
This Mother’s Day—like other Hallmark holidays—was celebrated without one of my twins. As I’m sure most moms would agree, college papers and finals must take priority. In some ways, mothers of college kids are lucky, because we know where our children are and...
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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.