by Nancy | Oct 30, 2019
I drive past homeless people almost every day. Sometimes, especially when it’s raining, I will lower my car window and hand over a dollar. But more often, I confess, I simply look the other way. I guess I’m more compassionate in the rain than I am in the...
by Nancy | Oct 23, 2019
Whether you’re 25 or 65, you’ve likely acquired experience in something. It makes no difference if you’re a skilled poker player or an exquisite cupcake baker, sharing some of the things you’ve learned can have all kinds of hidden and...
by Nancy | Oct 16, 2019
I think long-term relationships are like a garden. In the beginning, we decide what we’re going to grow, we till the soil and we plant the seeds. We pay close attention as the seedlings begin to sprout, giving them the proper amount of sun, water, and food. ...
by Nancy | Oct 9, 2019
I used to work in a cubicle. It was at the apex of the office, and people passed by me all day long. I’m usually friendly, so when my co-workers stopped to chat, I generally enjoyed the engagement. Occasionally, I was called out on this behavior during my...
by Nancy | Oct 2, 2019
As we are becoming more and more dependent on the instant gratification of checking with Google (or Siri, or Alexa), I wonder if our own impatience can be causing harm. Raise your hand if you’ve recently found yourself doing any of the following: Interrupting...
by Nancy | Sep 25, 2019
The other day when I was clearing out some notes on my phone, I came across a sentence I’d entered more than a year ago. I don’t know whether it was derived from someone else’s words or from my own, so I’m going to take credit for it. This is...
by Nancy | Sep 18, 2019
I know I addressed this subject a few years ago. While I’m not surprised at how often my clients speak of “revenge” during a divorce mediation, I’m kind of embarrassed that it’s taken me a long time to revisit the topic. In the State of...
by Nancy | Sep 11, 2019
Ok, that’s a lie. I am not a worrier. I can’t exactly explain how I got that way, or whether it’s a good idea or a not-so-good one. Worrying is a form of self-protection. It’s an important and instinctive emotion that morphs into action so...
by Nancy | Sep 4, 2019
Psychologists define an enabler as “someone who allows poor choices and decisions to continue despite knowing that those choices can be harmful to the other person.” Could the psychologists be describing you? I know you think you’re simply being a...
by Nancy | Aug 28, 2019
My earliest memory of feeling shame was when I wet my pants at the library. I was four years old, and my mom left me in the children’s section (back when it was okay to do that). I had to pee and I couldn’t find anyone to show me to the bathroom. The...
by Nancy | Aug 21, 2019
Boy, oh boy, have I seen a lot of different types of families! One of the things I love the best about being a Mediator is that no two days are alike. And I’ve come to realize that no two families are alike. Traditionally, families were classified as either...
by Nancy | Aug 14, 2019
My Dad was somewhat of a savant. The fact that he could be counted on to count everything always amazed me. Just like Dustin Hoffman’s iconic “Rainman,” my Dad memorized statistics. What was more amazing was his ability to remember names. I wish I...
