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Have you ever felt the temptation to not deal with things? I find that it’s especially tempting to not deal with issues in relationships when they come up – especially the ones where I feel shamed or disappointed by someone. When that’s happened to me in the more distant past, I would nurse my wounds and secretly feel resentful, all the while convincing myself that my feelings were better left unsaid. I think that’s the result of being brought up in a family where real feelings were never … [Read more...] about “Talks-It” or “Toxic” ~ Our Choice Point in Relationships

My heart is so heavy as I write this today. It has been four days since the earthquake and tsunami completely overtook northern Japan, and the news we are receiving is becoming more and more horrific. On a global level, this is such a monstrous tragedy, and I know I am but one or the billions of people around the world who are watching CNN and other news programs with ever-mounting shock and disbelief. But for me, there is a personal grieving as well. I have a very dear friend named Mika who … [Read more...] about Earthquake in Japan: A Personal Story

Have you been watching the sad saga of Charlie Sheen splayed out in newspapers, on TV talk shows, and online recently? Like many of us, are you wondering how a person with such apparent abundance in his life could take such a negative turn? While I do feel it’s quite unfortunate that someone’s extensive battle with mind-altering addiction (and possible concurrent mental illness) can wind up becoming fodder for ridicule in the public arena, I am also very much hoping that it might increase some … [Read more...] about Addiction in the Family: Or… What’s Up with Charlie??

My father had a number of wonderful sayings.  One of my all-time favorites was this one:“Some days you eat the bear, some days the bear eats you.”With apologies to vegans and all animal lovers, I’ve always thought that’s a great analogy for life because sometimes it can feel like we’re getting everything we want, while at other times just the opposite is true and nothing seems to go right.  And there are times when that feeling of nothing going right seems to go on for quite a while.When my … [Read more...] about Handling Disappointment: Riding the Wave

Ah, Valentine's Day, the fantasy-filled holiday that comes right after we've managed to get ourselves through another year of Christmas and New Year's Eve! Have you ever wondered whose bright idea it was to have those three  holidays in a row? For many people, the 3-month period of December through February can be festive and fun-filled. But for others -- or for at least some of us, some years -- it can be like running a gauntlet of forced gaiety: an obstacle course full of mind-numbing … [Read more...] about My Rx for a Happy Valentine’s Day: Become Your Own True Love