by Nancy | Feb 28, 2018
In the past few weeks, I’ve repeated that statement enough times that I consider it to be a sign for me to write about it. Caring for an aging family member is becoming more and more common. We’re living longer but not necessarily better. In a perfect...
by Nancy | Feb 21, 2018
As if the 50% failure rate for first marriages isn’t horrible enough, the failure rate of second marriages rises to a staggering 67%. You’d think after one divorce, we’d be better equipped to make a success of the second marriage. So, what’s...
by Nancy | Feb 14, 2018
I recently had a conversation with my happily-married niece. It kind of went like this: Me: What are you doing to celebrate Valentine’s Day? Her: Nothing. It’s a stupid holiday. Me: Why do you think it’s stupid? Her: Because we don’t need a...
by Nancy | Feb 7, 2018
Awkward situations can be momentary, like honking your horn at the guy in front of you, and then sitting next to him at a business lunch. That’s not the subject of this article. What I’m talking about here are those awkward situations that are more ...
by Nancy | Jan 31, 2018
Don’t those two words just piss you off even more? As I am sure you can imagine, tempers often flare during mediation and dealing with emotions is a large part of what I do. For example, last year I worked with a divorcing couple who had two kids. According to...
by Nancy | Jan 24, 2018
You want out. Out of your job, your marriage, your apartment lease, your cable contract. And no doubt, you keep on hearing your mother’s voice, “don’t burn a bridge.” What exactly does that mean? According to Wictionary, burning a bridge ...
by Nancy | Jan 17, 2018
I ask a lot of questions. I do so not only because it’s a necessity for a Mediator, but also because I am genuinely interested in the answers. Call it natural curiosity, call it being a good listener, or call it deflecting the interest away from me. Whatever....
by Nancy | Jan 10, 2018
When I was a young paralegal working for a large law firm in downtown Los Angeles, I was a quiet, insecure, rule-following employee who ate lunch by myself every day. I definitely had a different personality at work than at home, and it was very stressful for me to...
by Nancy | Jan 3, 2018
For my first blog in the new year, I was all set to write something inspirational. And then this happened: a couple going through a particularly ugly break-up, confessed to me that they fight in front of their kids. And they said they can see how it’s...
by Nancy | Dec 27, 2017
First, let me be perfectly honest. I have no willpower. That being said, I rarely make New Year’s resolutions because I cannot keep them. But maybe 2018 will be different . . . How many times will you be asked within the next week about your New Year’s...
by Nancy | Dec 20, 2017
I recently had a sad conversation with a daughter who’s having difficulty communicating with her old-school dad. When I was in college, we called it a generation gap and I think that’s still a good description. But that scenario gave me food for thought:...
by Nancy | Dec 13, 2017
What issues might be of concern to your aging parents or grandparents? Maybe one or more of these: 1. Care, safety, and comfort; 2. Physical situation; 3. Sexuality/companionship; 4. End of life decisions; and 5. Mental capacity Wow! Tough stuff. We tend to avoid...
