Now while your first thought might be, “I don’t have any expectations in my relationships,” as you give it a little thought, I believe that you probably do. For example, if you are married, you most likely began the marriage assuming some things with regard to: how money would be managed; how much time you…
It was not that long ago that a read an intriguing article, Which Generation Has The Best Marriages? by Haydin Shaw. For my purposes here I simply want to look at the strengths different generations have to offer one another when it comes to marriage. The Traditionalists (Born before 1946) This group of couples value…
While I have been in the counseling field for over 25 years, I don’t believe that I have ever seen so many of my clients experiencing feelings of anxiety and isolation. Prior to the COVID pandemic, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reported that 20% of Americans felt isolated and lonely. The report…
What? There’s a problem with independence? Our country was founded on this concept – we even have The Declaration of Independence. How can that not be good? Don’t get me wrong – independence is a wonderful idea in so many ways. But sometimes it can inhibit a healthy relationship. While individuals in a marriage certainly…
While that would certainly be my desire for you, far too many parents would have to answer a resounding “No” to that question. It may have been far easier to feel connected and functioning as a unified team before you had children than it did after. Some have referred to “losing that feeling of priority”…
Don’t be fooled! Those kids of yours are smarter than you may think. Oh, sure – they may look innocent enough, but they are shrewd. You see, with no training, those children somehow know how to take two seemingly intelligent adults and pit them against each other. They know and are competent at splitting us…
When my mother-in-law was alive, she was an incredible cook and a phenomenal hostess. If you were at her house enjoying dinner, you would want for nothing. She enjoyed serving people. But sometimes she could get so caught up in the preparations and making sure everything was just right that she had trouble enjoying the…
At first glance you may think, “Well, this doesn’t apply to me because my child has stayed away from alcohol and drugs. So I don’t have to worry about them having an addiction.” However, I am not talking today about substance abuse but about a very real addiction to electronic games. As one parent expressed…
Whether we are talking about a marriage, a work place relationship, or a friendship – most of us would, at least initially, think of disagreements as a negative experience. While I know that it often feels that way, is it really? Disagreements come in all shapes and sizes. Sometime we have minor arguments – such…
As you think about this, you may wonder, “Which relationships are you talking about?” To which I would say, “Any and all,” especially those that are most significant. A friend of mine recently helped his brother move to the middle of nowhere. His brother doesn’t want to engage with people and just wants to be…