A Million Meals

Thanks so much, Zanthe, for yet another honest, brave and incredibly lucid account of your continued journey down the complicated road of parenting. Except that I am not nearly as articulate at expressing my situation as you are yours, I could've written this post word for word. I often wonder (probably in vain), whether the myriad "issues" that face so many of our children today are just better understood versions of things we and our peers, as children, were facing all along, or if they're newer manifestations of a totally different world. Probably it doesn't matter. What does, as you point out, is that I embrace whatever differences my child has that may appear to set him apart or cause him difficulties, love him for exactly who he is, and do my best to give and get him the additional help and support he may need to deal with those challenges. The feelings that come with thinking of my son in terms of the "other" that you mention, are, I realize more and more, mine alone to deal with. Reading your post and hearing from other parents who grapple with similar feelings helps me to do that, so thanks again for sharing.

Hi Zanthe,

Thank you for your very interesting and obviously heartfelt blog. I am a parent as well. My adult child is now 28 and doing well. I had some thoughts while reading several of your posts. This comes from me, a regular Mom. I'm Canadian, a small businessperson and I believe, a successful (not perfect) parent. Your family sounds lovely, you sound lovely. I'm sorry there has been some difficulty. A very common family life in many ways.

An observation and comment if I may?

My childhood years and also my adult years were spent having regular dinners and lunches and snacks and breakfasts. My regular I mean porkchops with scalloped potatoes and green beans. Meatloaf and mashed potatoes. A ham and cheese sandwich with tomato soup. Raisin Bran. My Mom's homemade banana bread. Salad with avocado and feta. Ice cream. Grilled Cheese and pickles. Chili. Blueberry Pancakes.

The recipes you've posted are quite sophisticated. They sound terrific. I'd love them. But not as regular fare. Perhaps one of the things that has happened is that your daughter's taste would more naturally turn to everyday food, 'comfort food', rather than elegant and very 'upscale' food.

I'm not trying to be critical. It's just that it struck me when reading your menus that I would personally prefer more simple food and that perhaps your daughter would as well. A thought from one Mom to another.

I hope your upcoming week is a good one.