They don’t live here any more

lot more people these days are more comfortable about choosing not to have kids — than they were, say, a couple of decades ago. One reason that is cited for going the non- parenthood way — besides the world being so botched up and the environment being so toxic — is that the kids are finally going to flee the nest. Earlier, in certain parts of the world, children were seen to be a natural progression of the family tree; and you know what they say about the family tree: it has to be rooted. Today, most ‘ kids’ don’t stay at home. If you are a ‘ millennial’ and don’t move out of the parents’ fold by the time you are 22- 23 ( even if you are living in the same city), you are probably judged for not being your own person. If a son gets married, his wife may not be entirely comfortable living with the in- laws in the same house. If you are studying/ working in a different city/ country/ continent, chances are dim you’ll ever return ‘ home’ ( other than on annual breaks). Bottomline: one’s kids are no longer ‘ life- long’ companions — which is why, getting back to the beginning of my piece, many could- have- been parents are opting to not contend with the empty nest syndrome ( let’s call it ENS, shall we?). But then, some of the folks we spoke to for our feature on ENS are learning to let go of their apron strings and even be content ( hey, there’s always Skype!), leading me to wonder why my maternal grandmother created such a HUGE fuss when her younger son decided to break the joint family structure and fly the coop.

Elissa Goodman believes the “clean, green way” she adopted after she was diagnosed with cancer went a long way to help her beat the C- word. She went on to write Cancer Hacks to spread the word. A life- affirming interview with her. On a different track, what goes into the making of a narcissist. Quite fascinating. Get a lowdown on heart health while you’rey at it. All this and much more. Enjoy reading wknd. and have a great weekend.

THE FAMILY TREE, THEY SAY, HAS TO BE ROOTED. BUT TODAY, MOST ‘ KIDS’ DON’T STAY AT HOME