Question: How do you respond when you feel offended? Do you assume the worst and turn the offense over and over and in your mind, replaying the incident and reliving the hurt? Do you catalogue other offenses committed by the person in question, adding fuel to your resentment? Maintaining healthy relationships requires a willingness to forgive when we are offended. …
Living in Limbo but Still Moving Forward
Simple things—like going to the grocery store or spending time with friends—may seem more complicated these days. Depending on where you live, stores and restaurants may be operating at limited capacity with curbside service or takeout only options. Businesses you rely on may have closed temporarily, or for good. If you have been to the doctor lately, you probably had …
Hold on Tight to Each Other
My husband and I were taking our evening stroll. We like to walk and talk and hold hands. Because we are relatively new to the neighborhood, these daily walks provide opportunities to chat and get to know people better. And since Ken is in the process of tidying up the landscaping around our home, so he enjoys discovering which varieties …
Don’t Wait. Celebrate!
People are finding creative ways to celebrate special events these days. Almost eight-year-old Caleb knew he could not have a birthday party because of social distancing. Caleb loves jeeps. So his mom asked jeep-owning friends to drive by their house on Caleb’s birthday and surprise her son. The request circulated widely. Several days later, more than 300 jeeps paraded down …
Do the Next Right Thing: Good Advice When Life is Difficult
Do the right thing, and then do the next right thing, and that will lead you to the next right thing after that. -Michael J. Fox This advice comes from a beloved American actor waging a very public battle with Parkinson’s disease. Versions of this quote are credited to a variety of coaches, speakers and authors from C.S. …
Pandemic and the Unexpected Gift
Pandemic. At the risk of stating the obvious, we are living through unusual days. No matter what part of the country you are in, if you listen to or read any news at all, you are aware that the world is more than a little chaotic right now. At the very least, there is much uncertainty. And no one really …
The Gift of A Strong Marriage (Part 3) Legacy
Legacy is often thought of in financial terms. It’s the money or the property or the family heirlooms left behind when someone dies. And while that is true, legacy is not always something you can hold in your hand. Because legacy is what you pass down to those who come after you. That might include money and property, but it …
The Gift of a Strong Marriage (Part 2) — Stability
When you decide to get married, you start making plans. And after you marry, you keep making plans. But you know what they say. Life is what happens while you are making plans. My husband and I had a five year plan when we married. We knew what we wanted to do and where we wanted to be. And we …
Gray Divorce-Older Couples Calling It Quits
Do you ever wonder why so many couples make it through twenty-five, or thirty or even forty years of marriage and then call it quits? “Gray divorce” usually refers to baby boomer couples who split up after a long marriage. And while the divorce rate in the United States has fallen slightly over the past twenty years, divorces among those …
Four Ways to Support Your Spouse in Tough Times
Ever been caught unexpectedly in a severe storm? There aren’t many things more terrifying. Even if you are not physically harmed by the wind or high water, the long term after-effects of a major storm can derail your life as you deal with damage to home and property. Forbes recently published a list of some of the worst storms ever …