Mom, Interrupted

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The Power of Small - Interruption #13

5 days ago | keralataylor.substack.com | Kerala Taylor

I have always appreciated small things. Not necessarily the “small things in life” (though I appreciate those, too) but small spaces, small businesses, small towns. I’ve lived in small houses for my entire life, driven small cars, and sought out urban neighborhoods with a small-town feel. Honestly, most things are so much better when they’re small. Which is ironic, because I live in a country that worships BIG. We like BIG houses, BIG cars, BIG cities.
Should Feminists Care About Male Suffering?

1 week ago | keralataylor.substack.com | Kerala Taylor |Richard Reeves

Men, I’ve heard, aren’t doing too well. They are lonely. They are depressed. They are underemployed, undereducated, and underloved. As a woman, I have empathy for male suffering because I have empathy for all human suffering. Yes, suffering is part of life, but I’m of the humble opinion that we are all doing far too much of it, particularly considering how many resources and how much knowledge we have at our disposal.
Sick in Bed — Interruption #12

2 weeks ago | keralataylor.substack.com | Kerala Taylor

I got sick last week. I hate getting sick. It’s not just that I don’t like feeling crappy—who does?—but I hate losing all the rituals and routines (some might call them vices) that provide the scaffolding to my days. My morning coffee. My afternoon beer. My evening cigarette. Without these little rewards, my days feel unmoored. As soon as I started coug…Keep reading with a 7-day free trialSubscribe to Mom, Interrupted to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.
A Year Without Romantic Intimacy

3 weeks ago | keralataylor.substack.com | Kerala Taylor

Somehow it’s already April. And yes, I know, people are always making inane comments like, “Can you believe it’s almost/already [insert name of month]?”But April carries special significance for me this year. It marks a strange anniversary — 12 months since separating from my soon-to-be ex-husband. We were married for 15 years and before that, we’d dated for five.
The Lost Art of Anticipation - Interruption #10

1 month ago | keralataylor.substack.com | Kerala Taylor

“SIX DAYS?”I had instructed my son to try to find the keyboard he so desperately wanted somewhere else besides Amazon because I am mostly not ordering things from Amazon anymore. Except for sometimes, like when I need something sooner than, say, six days from now.
The Word That Ended My Marriage

1 month ago | keralataylor.substack.com | Kerala Taylor

“Bitch.”He didn’t just say it, he snarled it. His contempt was as hot as his breath on my face. This was the third time my husband had called me bitch—not even a bitch, just bitch—and I swore it would be the last. The first time, I was shaken. I eventually reasoned my way out of the initial shock, passing it off as a one-time thing. After all, over 15 years of marriage and five years of dating, my husband had never previously called me this word.
I Love Being a Single Mom - Interruption #8

1 month ago | keralataylor.substack.com | Kerala Taylor

The story we tell ourselves is that single mothers are to be pitied. I'm here to tell you that I don't need your pity. I’m here to tell you that if you are a financially independent woman who has access to some form of support network, being a single mother is actually pretty great. These are enormous “ifs,” I know. The patriarchy is predicated on financially disempowering women to keep us dependent on men.
When Women Attack Each Other, the Patriarchy Wins

1 month ago | keralataylor.substack.com | Kerala Taylor

A few years ago, I decided to take it upon myself to “solve” the growing rift between mothers and childfree women. With a few strokes of my keyboard, I believed that I could help childfree women feel properly empathized with, and then make a heartfelt case for why I, as a mother, deserved their empathy (and support). I believed that my measured tone and earnest pleas might help women without children genuinely understand my plight.
Kids as Community Assets - Interruption #7

1 month ago | keralataylor.substack.com | Kerala Taylor

When I finished work this past Wednesday, I was anxious to get outside. The week has been uncharacteristically warm and sunny — a teaser, no doubt, before the next bout of rain and wind. I find it somewhat difficult these days to enjoy uncharacteristically warm and sunny weather. The brightness carries dark undertones, a reminder that everything we once thought of as “characteristic” is shifting under our feet. Or perhaps more accurately, above and around our heads.
20 Boys In My Living Room — Interruption #6

2 months ago | keralataylor.substack.com | Kerala Taylor

Last Friday, my hometown of Portland, Oregon got a couple inches of snow. Most New Englanders and Midwesterners wouldn’t have batted an eye, but here, just a dusting can bring the whole city to a standstill.