I Owe My Parents Everything! Thanks, Mom and Dad.

I was recently reading Roberta Wasserman's article titled "I Don't Owe My Parents Anything." She's a therapist who is estranged from two of her four children. She works with many estranged parents cut off by one or more of their offspring. Interestingly some of those most critical of her work are fellow counselors. She has mentioned several times how shocking it was to be attacked by her colleagues for listening to suffering parents and advising them:

As a professional working with the increasing population of estranged parents, I had created a training to illuminate this popular movement and its emotional impact. The reality that many of the current estrangements were seeded and rooted in therapy rooms compelled me to create space for deeper understanding. Instead, I was met with vitriol and hostility on a professional platform—an intensity that stunned me. Only later did I realize that many of the keyboard screamers were themselves estranged. My words had tapped into their stories and threatened their perceived peace.

Topsy and Tuptim Discuss Stuff Off the Cuff (Chapter 7 of Amoris Laetitia)

The pope, thinking Topsy and Tuptim are eco-fascists

Topsy and Tuptim meet at the playground with their grandchildren for a play date. They sit on a bench drinking coffee and watching the youngsters climb the ladders of the “castle” and slide down the chutes while they discuss the study session on Chapter Seven. 

Topsy: Aren’t the children sweet. We're so blessed in our grandchildren. (Calling to a child at the top of the slide)...Be careful, Max! Wait for Bianca to get off.

Tuptim: We sure are. When I’m tempted to give up on the world I make a play date with the kids. (Laughing)...There’s nothing like getting down and dirty with a three-year-old to give you a fresh perspective.