If you have more than one child, you have probably at some point felt “ganged up on” by the kids. Knowing the power inequity they experience, because you are the parent and they are not, they often find strength in numbers. It is to be expected. However, what you didn’t count on was being ganged…
Normally when we think about protecting ourselves, especially our heart, we imagine that we are attempting to keep others from hurting us. The idea of “protection” conjures up pictures of our being attacked or mistreated in some manner that cause us to erect defenses that will keep us safe. And while those images are accurate,…
“Well, that’s a silly question – of course I do. It’s everyone else that doesn’t.” OK – if we are honest, we will readily admit that we are far from having it “all together.” And yet, when it comes to our most important relationships, we often resist admitting that we make mistakes. Rather than expose…
As we began our recent flight from Colorado Springs to Seattle, for a visit to see family and meet our new grandson, I was reminded of an important message by our flight attendant. “Should there be a loss in cabin pressure, an oxygen mask will drop down from the overhead compartment.” She then went on…
I can still recall the stories I read as a child or saw in the fairy tale movies. They all seemed to end with, “And they lived happily ever after. – The End.” However, you have probably noticed that real life rarely follows that simple script. It would be wonderful if we met our mate…
Remember those early days of dating? If you were in high school, you guys may have gone to enormous effort to creatively ask her to prom; or endeavored to shop and find her the perfect birthday present. Or you women may have spent hours in front of the mirror working to achieve the “perfect look”…
I was intrigued by a recent article in the OP/ED section of our newspaper, “Ten reasons to live without a smartphone.” As I read numerous studies regarding the ways in which smartphones impact relationships, this caught my attention. The author cites the high percentage of smartphone users in the 18 to 49 age bracket and…
I was recently reminded while reading an article from Parenting with Love and Logic of the crucial nature of empathy. It is the cornerstone upon which our entire relational house is built. And, while they are primarily focused on parent’s relationships with their children, the principle applies to all relationships – especially those with our…
When my boys were young we liked to do a lot of camping and fishing. We had one particularly favorite spot in central California that was called Dinkey Creek. Great memories were built there. While Jeremy, the oldest, would float in the water on an air mattress, Jason would sit on the bank and throw…
I recently read a story written by Dr. Bo Brock, a Texas veterinarian, about his grandparents. It seems that his grandmother would sprinkle his granddad’s work pants with starch and iron them every day. This struck Bo as odd, because, as a farmer, many days his Papaw would not see another person the entire day. …