Another column. Another road trip in my mind. This time, though, I had part of the title working in my head: the strange intimacies of parenthood. I’d had that phrase in my head for a while because of all the relationships I’d formed with other parents. Some close. Some not so close. It all felt very familiar somehow, so I started the car and took off exploring…

Long before I became a parent, while I was still in the throes or sprouting wings and having them clipped by my parents, I used to wonder on a semi-regular basis, how the heck was I born into my family? …