Marriage Archives

It’s nearly my birthday. This month, I’ll turn 43. I live with my husband and daughter and we generally have a lovely time together. Nothing unusual about that, you’re probably… thinking. But here’s the thing: There was no sign any of this would happen until the extraordinary year that I turned 40. That year, I had a short engagement, got married, and got pregnant. First, the backstory. Throughout my 20s and 30s, the dating scene had proved fruitless, if fun. I had a great life… >> Read More

vegan

I’m In a Mixed Marriage: He’s Vegan. I’m Not.

Martha Gershun

I married a vegan. Actually, I didn’t. I married a perfectly normal, omnivorous man, who was perfect in every way. Single: check. Jewish: check. Good-looking: check. Top-tier MBA:… check. Likes art and movies and plays and concerts: check. Reads science fiction: check. Loves to travel: check. Likes my cat: check. Likes my parents: check. My parents like him: double check. He was also kind, thoughtful, romantic, and funny — and had unbelievably exquisite taste in jewelry. That was 29 years ago, and I… >> Read More

Addiction

Yes, a Nice Jewish Girl Can Be an Alcoholic

Jeanne Epstein

One of my more formative childhood memories was an evening when I was in the sixth grade. I sat on the deck in the emerging spring warmth and eavesdropped on my parents’ conversation, which was the… result of my brother’s failing his first of many drug tests. This was not my brother’s first run-in with alcohol or drugs, and by this point it was clear this wasn’t just rebellious teenage behavior that he’d quickly grow out of. The conversation was heartbreaking. My mother sobbed through much of it, wondering what they’d… >> Read More

body image

Your Body After Baby — But This Isn’t About Weight Loss

Lucy Rimalower

Beautiful mother holding baby and practicing yoga

There's that beautiful photo from your wedding; you often find yourself wistfully staring at it. But it's not the image of young love that has you feeling nostalgic. It's yourself. Specifically, your… old body — how it used to look, and all the ways you used to take care of it.You look down at your breasts. How the mighty have fallen! You stopped pulling grey hairs because what’s the point? Sex? Ha! So goes the story of "body after baby" for so many women. First, there’s the… >> Read More

Divorce

Is Divorce Contagious? Actually, Yes.

Joanna C. Valente

Divorce is a word that automatically sends a chill down your spine — at least, if you're married. And yet, given that it's extremely common (about 40 to 50 percent of U.S. married couples divorce),… it's clearly a reality and a fact of life. And, apparently, divorce is also contagious. According to a recent study, which used research from across three U.S. universities, couples are 75 percent (!) more likely to get divorced if they have a close friend who also gets divorced. Yes, that's a really big number. Then again,… >> Read More

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