Celebrating Family

by Lisa Braver Moss

More than any previous generation, baby boomers have questioned the value of the family bond. They've sought psychotherapy, attended 12-step meetings, and analyzed their parents' limitations. In this age of psychological awareness, is family closeness a thing of the past? Writer Lisa Braver Moss found that while closeness means different things to different people, family relationships are very much alive and often profoundly significant in adult children's lives. Celebrating Family examines what makes a "close family." The book explores how acceptance of foibles, awareness of mortality, common projects, traditions, and even dumb jokes can keep us together despite geographical and emotional distance. How do we handle conflict with family in a positive way? How can family role changes make us closer? Why do we often reconnect with parents and siblings when we have children of our own? Celebrating Family looks at all these topics and more.

240 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 1999

About the author

Lisa Braver Moss is the author of the novels The Measure of His Grief (Notim Press, 2010) and the award-winning Shrug (She Writes Press, 2019). Her essays have appeared in Parents, Ms. (forthcoming), the Huffington Post, Tikkun, Lilith, and many other publications.

Lisa's nonfiction book credits include Celebrating Family: Our Lifelong Bonds with Parents and Siblings (Wildcat Canyon Press, 1999) and, as co-author, The Mother's Companion: A Comforting Guide to the Early Years of Motherhood (Council Oak Books, 2001). She is also the co-author of Celebrating Brit Shalom (Notim Press, 2015), the first-ever book of ceremonies and music for Jewish families seeking alternatives to circumcision.

Born in Berkeley, California, Lisa still lives in the area with her husband, with whom she has two grown sons.​