November 19, 2015 Marriage and Divorce
Nobody gives us a workbook to use the day of the wedding. Marriage is a trial and error experience. You take some of this and some of that from each family-of-origin, mix in some observations that you’ve made from other…
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November 17, 2015 Crisis Support
Mourning a death of a spouse, close family friend, relationship, pet or even the death of a career can be totally devastating. Death signals finality. Those left behind tend to feel cut-off from everyone and everything; they feel alone and…
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Let’s face it; nobody enjoys doing household chores. In order to get your kids and husband to share the chores, what will capture their interest? What if you made it fun? Husbands can be the biggest kid in the home…
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October 28, 2015 Marriage and Divorce
How frequently when a couple marries, the Greatest Commandment, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you,” gets left behind with their old school books, worn out clothes, mementos and single beds at their respective homesteads. Along…
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The priest said, “…’til death do you part.” That was 28 years earlier, but it was one of the first things I thought when my husband suddenly passed away in 1999. He was 54; I was 52. “Dating” seemed so…
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October 26, 2015 Marriage and Divorce
Unless a couple has lives together for at least a year prior to marrying, each may not be fully aware of the other’s habits. Therefore, you could have a spouse that has habits, which can be dangerous to you. We…
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October 11, 2015 Communication
Voices were talking all around me. A woman’s voice, that of a nurse I assumed, was next to me asking questions. In my head, I answered. However, I could not move a muscle. My mind said to “panic” but I…
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Do you ever get the feeling that people crave compliments? I’m thinking of the store clerk I complimented for bagging the food items in one bag and the detergents and hand soap in another bag. What a surprised look I…
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Can love last a lifetime? If so, what are the secrets of staying in love? Observe other couples. Do they usually go places together? Are they holding hands or at least walking along side one another? When they speak, do…
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September 17, 2015 Communication
Writing helps you to express what you cannot verbalize. What? You say that you can’t write? If you can read, then you can write. After all, you may not be the author of what will become a best seller, but…
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September 14, 2015 Communication
Look at the number of commercials that have brought us laughter. Many of them revolve around people speaking and the responses of the listeners. The one that comes to mind is the husband and wife at the breakfast table. Hubby…
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September 13, 2015 Communication
Communication should be a required subject in schools, along with English, Math and Science. Communication skills are of utmost importance to land the desired job, to attract people with similar interests and values, to explain ideas and to ask questions….
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Finding the love of your life took awhile, but your search is over. There is absolutely no doubt in your mind. Ms. New Love has expressed the same feelings toward you. Now you are faced with a problem. Over the…
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Women can lower a man like nothing else. You feel like your world has totally crumbled. You believe you are worthless. The time is now to pick yourself up by the britches, give yourself a little slap on the face,…
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August 14, 2015 Marriage and Divorce
You can think of a strong marriage as being like exercising. Your endurance and survival depend upon the amount of effort you put into it, as well as the frequency with which you exercise. So too with a marriage, the…
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August 13, 2015 Marriage and Divorce
Marriage relationships are like plants. If we neglect them, they will not grow. However, if we spend a little time each day to nourish and care for the relationship, it will grow and blossom into more than you ever imagined…
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Grief is gut-wrenching. Whether this grief concerns the death of a spouse, family member, close friend; marriage or relationship separation or a divorce, it hurts the same. Children experience grief with the loss or death of a pet, family member…
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“Do it because I said so,” was the writer’s mother’s answer to her question, “Why?” Unfortunately, the writer performed out of fear that she’d face punishment, if she didn’t do exactly as told. She decided that when she had children of her own, they would be treated differently….
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Unemployment does not affect you alone. Yes, you may be the person who is without a job, who worries about the finances, who feels like a failure in the eyes of the family and your concerns for all the “what…
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July 18, 2015 Marriage and Divorce
You say “I do” to marriage vows with the sincerest intent to be married “til death do us part.” In other words, you expect to be “happy ever after,” but in order to attain this goal, newlyweds must have done…
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July 17, 2015 Marriage and Divorce
The male tendency to childish behavior, in my opinion, is not that much different from the female tendency to childish behavior. We grow up but carry our child within ourselves. That child brings with him or her and keeps tucked…
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As a grandparent, I have a two-generation gap when it comes to my grandchildren. The toughness of the time, when viewed by the younger generation, is most always seen as being the more difficult. In reality, my belief is that…
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A woman who thinks “romantic” can be just as romantic and sexual as she was in her twenties. For that matter, she could even be more amorous. You are “seasoned” and with a wee bit of humor, you can be…
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Babies and young children love unconditionally. What, therefore, makes us grow-up and put conditions on who and how we will love? Somewhere along the way we learn to distrust and become fearful. Aren’t family members people to whom we should…
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Keeping a family together can be quite the task, but it can be done. Let’s see, there’s Adam’s baseball practices and games, Emma’s piano practices and lessons and Mom and Dad are each involved in a couple organizations, plus they…
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June 22, 2015 Marriage and Divorce
A man who has found the woman he wants to spend quality time with for the rest of his life will not want to disappoint or lose her. He will recognize and cherish the treasure he has found in her….
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Just as you cannot successfully type a letter without knowing the placement of the keys on the keyboard or how to use word processing, so too you need knowledge of the keys to a successful relationship in order for it…
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June 19, 2015 Marriage and Divorce
Face it. We all have stress. It doesn’t seem that it’s ever going to vanish, which means we must learn how to handle it. When it’s your partner who is enduring with the most stress, dealing with it can be…
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You have “hit a brick wall” in communication with, let’s say, your partner. Each partner remains adamant that his and her belief is absolutely correct. What is the next step? Write You have “hit a brick wall” in communication with,…
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June 17, 2015 Marriage and Divorce
The question, “to work or not to work?” Every couple grapples with the various aspects of their family’s life and its need for increased family earnings. In this tumultuous economic day and age, oftentimes there may be no choice for…
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