In the summer of 2009, in the wake of a crisis in her life, my mother moved from San Diego to San Francisco to live with my 16-year-old daughter and me. My mother was 77. I was 51. Despite a chorus of skepticism from friends - who knew about my upbringing - I was determined to do what I could to help my mother.

Being a journalist, you write what you see. If we can't do that, what use are we? I turned years of training on myself.

Having a parent live with you under the best of circumstances can be a terrible stressor.

Katie Hafner Quotes