Dear IF readers,

The March issue of International Family Magazine looks at life halfway. Life in the middle.  Midlife.  Many family magazines today focus on parents, children and parenting.  But what of the individual found within the family unit? The person found in the parent, the single aunt, the married man without children? What of the life choices and how things are going?  And so the midlife crisis that hopefully ends up in a resolution of sorts.

The resolution of the midlife crisis could be a new, shiny car that drives fast.  A change of career.  Or sadly, a divorce.  Or joyfully, a divorce.  For my own 42nd birthday, I will take great pleasure in buying CDs that I will listen to while flying on a plane for my much anticipated, annual sojourn to my best friend Marcy in Seattle, Washington USA.  Marcy has been my best friend since we were age 15.  27 years.  Together we will leave our husbands and sons to drive up to her family’s empty cabin in the San Juan Islands with bikes and not a care in the world. 

We will reminisce of our wild youth and our apartment together after college, traveling Europe with a backpack, peasant dresses you could roll up in a ball and a Bunsen burner. Our decision to move to Spain that we made in a minute without regard for anyone or anything except our temperament for adventure.  After 4 days of quiet friendship, no children or spouses and some burned out tunes, I will as always, be happy to return to my own life and home, reflective, recharged and grateful for the beautiful life I have. 

Cheryl Paley, our New Global Family columnist, strikes a funny chord as she explores the question, “How did I get here?”  Life is after all a series of choices we make one at a time, in an instant or over a long time.  These choices add up to something that we DID or DIDN’T think would be the END RESULT.  Single life? Married life? Having children. Not having children.  High paying jobs we love or hate.  Low paying jobs we love or hate.  A house in the city, a house in the country.  No house at all. Freedom. Entrapment. Empowered. Obligated. Routine. Gratitude. And on and on.  Funny, sad, glorious, ironic -  Life. 

And Ellen Blaustein, our resident Grandma Ellen offers up a great SOLUTION.  Now in her 60s, Ellen reflects on her own midlife crisis and her struggle with all the pieces of her life.  Ellen spent some time moving things around to make life fit better.  And yet, it wasn’t until she moved things around inside that her life finally settled.  The solution being that things are the way they are.  And the difference is how we feel about it all.  That life is an inside job.  Brava, Ellen.  That is why your wisdom of age and reflection is so critical to our readers. Thanks.

International Family Magazine brings great delights from many contributors.  Jessica Long our post-grad takes us to Ireland for a visit.  Willa Reaves takes us back to Liberia, West Africa to her native country to help rebuild it with her husband and three sons.  Jessica Santemma reflects from her college dorm room at George Washington University in Washington DC, USA.  And once again, Brooke Allen gives us the wisdom of a father to his sons from his computer on his way to a vacation.

The great relief in the midpoint of life is that if we are lucky, we still have some time left to reflect on what is missing.  And fill in the gaps if we want.  Halfway through things we still have time to change things up.  Or sit back and be grateful.  The choice, if we decide to act or not, is ours. 


Here is to life’s great MIDDLE, good reading,
Cat Wayland
IF Mag Editor at
cat@internationalfamilymag.com