We lost our retirement fund and gained our 36-year-old son as a roommate. Multigenerational living has made our lives fuller.

Pam Hopkins and her grandchildren. Courtesy of Pamela Hopkins Pamela Hopkins, 67, thought she'd have an easy retirement. But when she lost her retirement savings and her adult son moved back in, everything changed. Hopkins says her life isn't what she imagined, but she's happy taking on this new stage as a family. This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Pamela Hopkins, a 67-year-old retired realtor who lives with her husband and 36-year-old son. The essay, which also incorpora...