I see couples on a daily basis and most often they are individually very different from each other. One person is quiet while the other is more outgoing; one is spontaneous while the other plans out everything; or each are on opposite sides of the introvert/extrovert scale. People tend to marry people who are at…
For the past year, I have been on a declutter quest. You see, I have lived in our current house for over 25 years – the longest I have lived in one place. And living in the same place for this long, I have accumulated stuff. Things I haven’t used in years but always tend…
For many step-parents, the answer to this question would be a resounding “No!” I have heard comments such as, “I was such great friends with his kids before we got married. I don’t know what happened.” Or “My partner and I had discussed this issue prior to marriage and thought we had a handle on…
I love the Progressive commercials with Dr. Rick who tries to keep his clients from becoming their parents. In one commercial he plays a voicemail that someone named Julie left for him. Then he asks the group what Julie did wrong. While they answer with a variety of suggestions, he states that she didn’t even…
Now if your first thought is, “What date night?” then this might be a timely post. Depending on your season of life, date nights can look very differently. If you are young with no children or are empty nesters, you may find date nights fairly easy to put together. But if you are like so…
“I’m really frustrated because I arrived home, expecting dinner, only to discover that nothing had even been done, no effort had even been made to start dinner!” Why did this person expect dinner to be ready? It might be because every other night dinner has been prepared. Or it could be that the person grew…
While those sound like good kind words; an offer to assist, to provide support – individual’s reactions often don’t seem appreciative. Why? I have found myself trying to carry an armload of stuff (probably too much stuff) to the recycle bin, and my wife says, “Would you like some help?” To which I reply, “No,…
I just finished a counseling session with a couple who talked about wanting to be on the same team, but then everything they discussed demonstrated that they are clearly fighting for their individual agendas. They are far from embracing a “team” concept. In a marriage we are two individuals who “become one”, creating a new…
You may think this a strange question. But I would really be curious to know. You see laughter is so easily lost. I mean, life is serious stuff – there are wars and rumors of wars (hmm), hurricanes, wildfires, political divide, and the list goes on and on. You might think, “What is there to…
Imagine that you received a promotion at work that came with a nice raise in your salary. This is a pleasant surprise and will provide money that you had not expected. So, what would you do with it? You are excited to share the news with your spouse, but when you do, a conflict ensues.…