I decided to write this blog because so many people have asked me “how did you come to live with both your mom and mother-in-law?” “Is it hard with that many people in the house?” or upon learning of my circumstances responded not with a question, but stone-faced with the statement “I could NEVER do that.”  For the right reasons, it is the best decision. But believe me when I say that sometimes, I try to imagine life in a “normal” home, one with privacy, one with at most two parents, one where only my cars inhabit my garage, and one where all the decorating decisions reflect the same era of fashion and materials. There are times I say to my wife, while in our bathroom rinsing our toothbrushes, “why did we choose this life?”  In the blog entries that follow I will attempt to explain why, and in the final assessment, I am so grateful that all of these people have chosen to come together and create a shared life, under one roof, of which I’m very proud.  

The events I’m going to relay in my next post began 17 years ago.  Seventeen long years ago.  Mostly good years, but as I will share over the course of this blog, some challenging times as well.  If you’re considering creating or joining a multigenerational household (MGHH), and want to know why someone would consider it, I’ll share our circumstances and thoughts.  For the record, there are many reasons to form a MGHH, and my family’s journey is only one example.  But regardless of the reasons in the beginning, I believe the benefits, challenges, laughs and pillow-screams that follow are materially the same for all of us who choose this path.