Skylar Skikos

Our dog Magnificent had a rough go of it after the birth of our son. This whiny and smelly new creature—whom we endearingly call Shep—was interesting to him at first, and Magnificent steadfastly tended to his every cry and kept close guard whenever anyone new ventured near him.

My life’s present state seems like a study in contrasts. Depending on which expert you cite, with my 40th birthday approaching I am either the first of the Millennials or the last of Generation X. Perhaps that’s why it feels like I am straddling ‘youth’ and ‘midlife’ or, more accurately, occupying them both at the same time.