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...
by Nancy | Dec 6, 2017
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...
