He is not a boy, and he is not a friend. So why is ‘boyfriend’ the only socially acceptable term for him? I’m 41 years old and way too old to have a boyfriend. I haven’t had a boyfriend since I was in my 20’s. And, here I am two decades later single and dating […]
When Katerina Zacharia and her brother were kids, her father gave her brother more money to spend at the roller rink. When she asked, “Why the difference?” He replied, “He’s a boy.” My dad grew up a poor boy from a small fishing village, just minutes away from the site of Shakespeare’s Othello. He spent […]
Sometimes finding love means getting rid of all your unrealistic rules and guidelines. Dating is on my mind. I turn 41 next month. My marriage ended three years ago. My divorce is near final. I still believe in love. Of course, I am not certain of the everlasting type or how love manifests for a […]
Single mom Katerina Zacharia shares her self-care strategy for the new year. Three years ago, a child therapist asked, “So, what are you doing to take care of you?” I wanted to leap across the table and strangle her throat. “What the heck kind of question is that? Why would you ask something so ignorant, […]
Sometimes a single parent is the only parent a whole family needs. Last night, my children took their first music lesson with a lovely, talented young trumpet player and music educator. As I watched them connect to his kind teaching and the music, my eyes welled up. Their dad, a musician, should’ve been the one […]
Katerina Zacharia’s son misses his daddy, but still considers his mommy—who often fills the role of both parents—a superhero. Yesterday was like any other day. I picked my son up from daycare. He jumped into my arms and I tossed him high up in the air a few times and carried him to the car…no […]
Katerina Zacharia discusses why using the term “on ramp” to describe women returning to the workforce after having children is inaccurate, at best, and insulting, at worst. I’m troubled that we use the term “on ramp” to describe women returning back to the workforce after prioritizing childrearing. I’m specifically uncomfortable that we locate women who […]
Despite the pain she feels from her father’s absence, Katerina Zacharia’s 5-year-old daughter still understands the immensity of that loss for her mother and brother, too. Sitting in an airport waiting for a delayed flight to Las Vegas to attend a conference, all I can see and feel is my daughter, Jaya. She’s at home […]
There’s no guide to explaining to young children why their father left, as Katerina Zacharia—the mother of Demitri and Jaya—found out. But she’s going with her gut, and she’s doing just fine. The other day, we were driving home after the daycare pickup when Demitri cocked his head to the side and in the same […]
Kat Zacharia writes about the trials and rewards of being a sole parent to two young children. Read her first piece about how she became a sole parent here. As we drove away from a lunch meeting at one of Burbank’s oldest institutions, my colleague and close friend Kiki turned to me and said, “Wow! […]
Eighteen months ago I looked at my husband and said, “I have an idea. What if I return to the United States with our children and start over while you stay here in New Zealand and do what you feel you have to do?” He asked, “Are you okay with that?” I replied, “I am. […]
