Messages in bottles have been the stuff of folklore for centuries. Dying, desperate sailors have hurled them. Curious children have launched them. Nicholas Sparks wrote a novel based on them, but don’t read it—or watch the movie—unless you already have a prescription for antidepressants. The story I find most interesting about such bottles,...

How's your love life? If you have questions and you're not sure who to ask, talk to a mentor. I have discovered a stark contrast between what each sex thinks the opposite sex wants from them, and what the opposite sex really does want. What women think men want from them causes women to have resentment and anger toward men, and feel hopeless...

At 16, I had been kissed, but never reciprocated. When I finally encountered a guy I actually wanted to kiss, I called on my best friend for advice. "Close your eyes, open your mouth and it's a done deal," she said. When the opportunity for my first real kiss showed up, I leaned in. He closed his eyes; I closed mine. He opened his mouth; I froze....

1. Make and keep eye contact. Few things assure your loved one that you are listening closely more than making eye contact. Without making it seem like you are staring through her, lock your eyes on hers and listen to what she has to say. 2.  Cease all other activity. When your loved one wants to talk to you-when she has something very important...

My cell phone rang on Monday morning while I was working at a client’s office. “Lori, can you meet me at home? I’ve just been let go from my job.” I packed up and got in the car and started to drive, my heart pounding, my mind racing…then the tears started, and I began to pray. Just the previous Sunday afternoon, Del and I had been talking...

Misunderstanding leads to breakups About one in two marriages ends in a divorce these days. We are all too familiar with the various problems that can lead to a breakup. Arguments can begin at sunrise and not stop until after sunset. This kind of fragile relationship is like a time bomb ready to explode at any time. Some couples may keep it all...

Whether you've been married six weeks or 26 years, you know that there's more to making a great marriage than having "the ultimate wedding." Time was when society as a whole understood this fact. Wedding ceremonies were simple. Marriages weren't always flashy or fancy, but they lasted. They weren't subject to the emotional mood swings that so...