If you are breathing, you have at one time or another encountered individuals who get angry and fly off the handle at the slightest provocation – or maybe, seemingly, with no provocation at all. It may be a spouse, a child, a parent, a boss, a co-worker, or even a best friend. You may find…
Have you ever felt that way? You fell in love with this wonderful person. You liked their personality, their characteristics, their habits (well, most of them), and their interests. This was perfect. But then after a few years, something happened. You woke up one day and it dawned on you – there was a stranger…
Divorce can be such a disaster (most of the time it is). I know there are certainly occasions when it is unavoidable, but that is not the norm. And when children are involved, indications are that, for the most part. Everybody loses! I recently had a mother of two young children say to me –…
For a lot of people, this question causes them to scratch their heads. If someone had asked them years earlier if they were investing in their fiancé or their boyfriend or girlfriend, it would have been much easier to answer. Because odds are, at that stage in the relationship, they constantly wanted to do things…
Over the decades, wedding vows have changed from pretty traditional and predictable to often very inventive. In the more traditional vows, the word “cherish” was often included. I still remember some of the lyrics of the song “Cherish” by the Association, performed in the 60’s. Cherish is the word I use to describe All the…
It has been a long week, working long hours with unexpected emergencies at the office, and frankly, you’re exhausted. You are so very much looking forward to Saturday on the couch with an afternoon of college football. As you gather your favorite snacks and beverages, you flip on the TV. You are just about to…
I occasionally have the opportunity to officiate wedding ceremonies, usually for couples with whom I have been privileged to do pre-marital counseling. I have never stood with two people who have felt that they were a poor match with each other. Quite the contrary. However, I sit with couples in my office who have been…
Everyone has struggled in their marriage at some point. And we have all heard the elevated statistics in the U.S. for divorce for first marriages, with numbers for second marriages being even more dismal. But what about those who successfully remain married for decades? What if they have some of the answers? Earlier this year,…
Losing our mom is tough – especially when they have been as giving and sacrificial as my mom. There was nobody who didn’t like Mom. I don’t think it was possible. Following my Dad’s passing 12 years ago, Mom moved from Houston to Colorado Springs so that she would be near us. How very fortunate…
Now I have seen people who have some very strange relatives who just might agree that the cat is the most important member of their family. Actually, my mom could be one of them. But what lengths would people go to for their cat? Troy, a Silicon Valley resident, recently moved when his daughter went…