I'm 33 and I live with my mom.
Actually, we live together in a copacetic, mutually beneficial, multi-generational family unit. 3 generations of us live under one roof, and I'm coming to learn in this transition through the nuclear family era, that this type of living situation is really not so uncommon.
According to Generations United, the U.S. Census reported in 2008 that one in 6 households in the United States is comprised of at least 3 or more generations. In the bigger picture, this is the way things were done. Families lived in the same homes for generations, and if not under the same roof, within the same clan not more than a short walking distance apart. Families ate together, sought advice of their elders, raised and educated children as a community, depended on one another, shared their strengths and compassion with one another, and passed down skills and knowledge from generation to generation.
I have also come to realize what a gift it is to have this time in my life to spend time with my mom, and to allow my kids such an opportunity to know her and gather their own memories and experiences with her. So many of my dear friends have lost parents in recent years, and while I can't possibly say that I know the depth of their grief, my heart aches as I see how much they long for these moments. God willing we will have plenty of moments to spare for many years to come, and I want to take advantage of every one we have before us.
That is not to say that things are always without struggle. The movement of the nuclear family (one couple with children living on their own), has created it's own dynamics of both familial and household independence. Marrying those ideas under one roof with two generations of mothers/matriarchs can be trying at times for us both. That said, we are navigating these waters together, with patience and passion for what we're doing and where we're going.
When it comes down to the day-to-day, there is nothing more magical than watching my mom dance around the yard in the rain with my oldest daughter, playing games with my 9yo girl, or pretending to build castles with my son. There is a deep comfort in 3 generations of mothers and daughters sitting down between chores to knit a few rows together on the front porch as we watch the cars go by together. Traditions are shared and made over recipes and kitchen tables, through seasons and celebrations.
Yes, we live in a multi-generational household. The important thing is, and always has been, family.
