I love this story and feel it very much. I went through a (long ) period of people telling me I needed to do certain things by a certain time or even look a certain way. I am an artist and worked at co-ops for almost 20 years, and even there people told me these things. I actually wanted to have chidren early, but that wasnt in the cards. I had my first (and only) child a month after I turned forty. My job of ten years did not take me back after my maternity leave, which actually I am glad in hindsight of, but it was really a hard blow at the time....And here is the kicker - The man I fell in love with ended up being alot younger then me, something I used to think I would never do. But life has a way of putting things on your plate that originally one may have thought you couldnt handle.
Not only are we are handling it, but my Husband daughter and I are right now gloriously happy and thriving.
Any way, I guess what I am getting at, is to hell with standards like you are saying. life can and is beautiful if you let it be-- just like your magical family.