You can't make someone agree with you, not even when you're 100 percent sure you're right.

Almost no one can take on an entire future in one step, much less while reeling emotionally.

Moving is hard. Staying is easy. Logistically speaking, at least. And this is true whether you're doing or undoing something.

Waiting for someone to propose to you only passes the "Really, it's tradition!" sniff test when both of you think it's the man's job to propose and both of you think that's awesome.

I realize that people fly with small children all the time, and that babies are easier in some ways because all they do is sit/lie around anyway, but damn it's hard to keep a baby comfortable on any flight, much less a long one, particularly amid the looks of horror they will get from fellow passengers as it dawns on them that their 10- to 13-hour flight might come with a soundtrack of screaming baby.

Separation is where you see if it works better with the adults in two different homes.

Unfortunately, I think the expectation is that birthday girls don't pay.