THE MULTI-GENERATIONAL BIRTHDAY HOUSE

Or, Why It’s A Healthy Idea To Share One Roof.

Living with people who range in age from 23 to 88 calls for many things, the right house being a big one.

What makes one house more right than others? Enough space for the people, even if they all end up in the same room most of the time.

If you’re planning on making this move, you’re not alone. Baby boomers are hopping on the roommate bandwagon.

Ask yourself, would you rather live with strangers, or family members.

Why start new grudges when the old ones have plenty of mileage left in them?

Would your new roommates remember your birthday the way you like it?If it looks like this, you’re on the right track.

If this birthday party looks fun, it’s because it is fun.

Look at the numbers on the cake. Who wouldn’t want to share a birthday? Around here it happens all the time and it’s hilarious.

But cake and presents come after dinner, and that’s means a dinner date.

Who to call? Who would be interesting enough?

The most interesting man in the world is a good start.

He’s probably say a multi-generation house is the best of all worlds.

If you get sick, you’ll have someone looking after you.

If you get hurt, you’ll get nursed back to health.

But it’s the small things that go unnoticed when you live alone.

With a gang like this around, not much gets by.

The most common admonition you hear?

No, it’s not, “Dad drank all the margaritas.”

It’s closer to, “Sit up straight and smile.” That’s why all the beauties are up front.

My wife is a great reminder. I ask if sitting up straight is part of the Alexander Technique. She says giving the lungs room to work is reason enough to sit up.

Breathing effectively is important at every age, but the older we get, the more focus it deserves.

All birthday parties have their highlights, and nothing says go like blowing out the candles.

You can’t do this if you don’t have the wind.

By living with a group, someone notices when you’ve got a little less billow in your sails.

Do you enough wind? Did you blow out all of our candles? If you have a question, find the right help. Fay Putnam is a good start.

After an evening of excitement with family and friends it’s time to head back home for the finale, and more candles waiting.

Stay calm, carry on, and get ready for a big blast.

Some of you might see a night like this and say to yourselves, “This is why I’d never live with my mother, or mother in law. Too many requirements.”

Well, it goes both ways. You’re the focus when it’s your day, and you focus on others when it’s not.

Either way brings out the unexpected.

If you’re lucky, an annoying son in law will catch you while you summon up the energy to knock out a three candle power cake.

Sure, family life can be stressful, but the good outweighs the bad when you do it right.

You try to keep up good morale and take one for the team when the occasion arises.

You make an effort where you didn’t before because now it matters more.

No one wants to be the weak link in the family chain.

And most of all, you never miss the moment when you get a request for an 88th birthday picture.

Instead of a big empty hallway, it comes alive. And so do you.