Is It A Good Idea To Be Friends With Your Ex?  (Three Minute Read)

Is It A Good Idea To Be Friends With Your Ex? (Three Minute Read)

My answer to this question, in a word, is maybe. So maybe I should ask you to take this short quiz:   True or false: Our differences in philosophy or religion or politics or etiquette became more and more problematic. True or false: He/she cheated on me and left me...
Our Parents Are Aging (Three Minute Read)

Our Parents Are Aging (Three Minute Read)

Have you begun to notice a gradual shift in the lives of your parents?  Maybe they’re asking for help with the simplest of things, or maybe they’ve stopped doing them completely.  Giving up independence might be the most difficult task we face as we age. ...
Mansplaining (Three Minute Read)

Mansplaining (Three Minute Read)

In case you’ve never heard of the term “mansplaining,” I’ll give you an example.  A few weeks ago, in response to a question posed by a Facebook friend (“Share something about yourself that not many people know”), I confessed that...
You’d Better Read This . . . Or Else!  (Three Minute Read)

You’d Better Read This . . . Or Else! (Three Minute Read)

The subject for this article, in case you haven’t figured it out, is the ultimatum.   I recently met with a couple and learned that the husband had been having an affair.  When the wife found out, she demanded that he immediately end the other relationship and...
Magical Thinking (Three Minute Read)

Magical Thinking (Three Minute Read)

Urban Dictionary defines magical thinking as “the belief that one exerts more influence over events than one actually has.”  Wikipedia likens it to superstitious thinking.   I was recently introduced to this concept in a casual conversation with a friend. ...
The One Who Got Away (Three Minute Read)

The One Who Got Away (Three Minute Read)

Do you remember your first real love?   I struggle with the answer to this question because sometimes I count the boys I kissed in kindergarten, and sometimes I count the boy I made out with in junior high, and sometimes I count my first real long-term committed...
10 Lessons I’ve Learned in 2020  (Three Minute Read)

10 Lessons I’ve Learned in 2020 (Three Minute Read)

I wish I could brag about learning a foreign language or how to color my own hair. That didn’t happen. I also didn’t lose weight, amp up my exercise routine, or solve a 1000 piece jigsaw puzzle  Nevertheless, I experienced many good things this year.  I...
Holiday Gifts (Three Minute Read)

Holiday Gifts (Three Minute Read)

“The essence of the custom is that I now have to go out and purchase for you a gift of commensurate value and representing the same perceived level of friendship as that represented by the gift you’ve given me.  It’s no wonder suicide rates skyrocket...
Wants vs. Needs (Three Minute Read)

Wants vs. Needs (Three Minute Read)

At the end of every year I can remember, I have the same conversation with myself. “Next year, I’m going to figure out the difference between what I want and what I need.” I’ll admit that sometimes it’s a tug-o-war.  I tend to rationalize...
Choosing Peace Over Perfection  (Three Minute Read)

Choosing Peace Over Perfection (Three Minute Read)

Anybody who knows me will attest to the fact that I am a stickler for proper spelling, grammar, and manners. I’ve been known to reply to random posts on Facebook to point out the difference between “your” and “you’re.”  I’ve...
Help!  (Three Minute Read)

Help! (Three Minute Read)

Most of us find it challenging to ask for help, especially now that our world has been turned upside down.  Based on personal experience, I can understand not wanting to seem weak or vulnerable, but at whose expense?  I mean when my kitchen sink becomes clogged, does...