I'm a mom of 3 and prefer spending time with my child-free friends

Tech Insider
Three women sitting outside getting coffee together.
Melissa Noble (not pictured) enjoys spending time with her child-free friends.

Getty Images

I love being a messy, imperfect summer mom

Tech Insider
A mom and daughter laugh as they go down a slide together.

d3sign/ Getty Images

I was so focused on dorm room essentials I didn't know I had to do these 7 things ahead of my son's college move-in

Tech Insider
two people holding boxes filled with dorm room essentials
College move-in isn't just about the dorm.

Svetikd/Getty Images

When my son died from an overdose, my husband and I grieved differently. But we were determined to keep our marriage intact.

Tech Insider
Patricia A. Roos with her husband and son
The author, right, and her husband lost their son to addiction.

Courtesy of Patricia A. Roos

As a child therapist, I want parents to put less pressure on themselves in August. It's tough enough.

Tech Insider
A boy shields himself from the blast of a water blaster in the backyard of a home during the summer
A boy shields himself from a water blaster.

MelkiNimages/Getty Images

We've been long-distance for 6 years and have learned a lot about our marriage, including that distance doesn't work for us

Tech Insider
View from behind of woman sitting on couch and texting.
The author (not pictured) and her husband have been long-distance for the majority of their marriage.

Getty Images

I planned on retiring this year but was then diagnosed with cancer. Retirement may need to be put off, and I'm devastated.

Tech Insider
Theresa St. John wearing a hat in front of a grassy hill
The author was looking to retire but then was diagnosed with breast cancer.

Courtesy of Melanie Majors Mauck

I'm a Yale graduate but can't afford to live on my own, so I share an apartment with my mom. I have no plans to move out.

Tech Insider
Mia Tsang and her mom in front of the NYC pride parade
The author, left, loves living with her mom, right.

Courtesy of Mia Tsang

I never wanted to get married. But when I got pregnant, everything changed.

Tech Insider
Melissa Noble and her husband sam smiling and staring at the camera while standing outside in front of a colorful mural wall.
Melissa Noble never saw herself getting married. Then, she got pregnant.

Courtesy of Melissa Noble

I'm a boomer who couldn't afford to retire in the US. At 70 I moved to Spain and it was the best decision ever.

Tech Insider : Travel
Woman posing for photo in Barcelona
The author moved to Spain in 2017 and still lives there, she said it was the best decision she's made.

Courtesy of the author

Subscribe to Essay