by Nancy | May 17, 2023
It’s almost summertime, and the living might not be so easy if you’re planning a Family Reunion. Your checklist is ever-growing, from logistics, to activities, to dealing with all of the colorful personalities that make your family unique. Think you can please...
by Nancy | May 10, 2023
I want you to spend three minutes reading this post. (See what I did there?) Let’s start by thinking about how you might handle the following situations:1. Your neighbors leave their dog outside and it barks all night long, keeping you awake.2. A coworker takes...
by Nancy | May 3, 2023
I recently lost a brother-in-law to cancer, and a friend to a sudden heart attack. Their deaths affected me profoundly and made me consider the legacies they built and left behind. The literal definition of “legacy,” at least according to Merriam-Webster,...
by Nancy | Apr 26, 2023
In mediation, as well as in my personal life, the people with whom I interact frequently need to have the last word. And I have no problem allowing them to have it because it isn’t important to me. Why isn’t it important to me? Why is it important to them? I decided...
by Nancy | Apr 19, 2023
Am I hitting a nerve? Are you inclined to let control freaks have their way because it’s easier than arguing? That is, until you’ve reached your last nerve and end up losing it over something like a coffee mug! In mediation, one of my primary goals is to make sure the...
by Nancy | Apr 12, 2023
Let me start with a confession – I text like a teenager. Technology in general, and texting in particular help me run my life with efficiency. I can send a text to my friend to tell him I’m running five minutes late, and I can confirm tomorrow’s mediation...
by Nancy | Apr 5, 2023
Sometimes I think I could have been a decent actress because I can cry on demand. All I need to do is conjure up a memory about my dad and the tears start to roll. Those memories are emotional triggers for me. During a recent divorce mediation, I used the word...
by Nancy | Mar 29, 2023
When we were kids, we cemented a promise with the “pinky swear.” As adults, it’s about integrity. Long before I read “The Four Agreements,” I understood the first principle of that book, which is to “be impeccable with your word.” I’m...
by Nancy | Mar 22, 2023
Regardless of your age or your education, you’ve probably acquired experience in something. It makes no difference whether you’re a financial advisor or a skilled cake decorator, sharing some of the things you’ve learned can have all kinds of hidden and not-so-hidden...
by Nancy | Mar 15, 2023
If you’ve ever read a magazine or a self-help book, or had a conversation with a close friend, I’m pretty sure the term “red flag” has come up a time or two. Whether it’s ridiculous spelling errors in a resume, or a malicious tidbit of...
by Nancy | Mar 8, 2023
My mom liked to move the furniture around. On any given day, and for no particular reason, I’d come home from school to find the living room couch on the opposite wall, or my dad’s recliner somewhere new. Those minor changes in the house made me feel disconnected and...
by Nancy | Mar 1, 2023
It’s been a few years since your divorce, and you’re now remarried. With characteristic optimism, you’ve started on the journey to co-exist with his children. And with his ex! How on earth are you going to navigate this? This is a complicated,...
