Blah, blah, blah! All too often the words we speak come across as meaningless chatter. Communication, the transmitting of information from one person to another is such a common part of our lives that we engage in it without giving the words we speak much thought. Our communication techniques can devalue those we are closest to. In fact communication...

Words are powerful. They start can start a revolution, they can start a family, they can change a nation, they can end a war.  We decorate our walls with words, some of us tattoo them on to our bodies.  In the moment it can be hard to find just the right words which might also be why we like quotes so much.  T. S. Eliot wrote, “It is impossible...

What one gift that everyone wants? The gift of time. Time is the main ingredient in building lasting relationships. Your time is a gift you can give your spouse every day. My goal for this month is to learn more about my husband. My relationship with my husband is an important one. I’m constantly reminding myself of that and the importance of...

He stood at my kitchen counter drinking a cup of coffee. Our overnight guest casually spoke about summer plans he made with his wife. It sounded nice  –  a few picnics, a couple of quick weekend trips, kids sports events to take in, maybe a holiday that they had talked about for a long time.  Then he paused and asked me, “Do you know where...

Does your career own you? Do household chores keep you from quality time—or any time—from your kids? Do the demands of errands and meetings and emergencies keep you from catching your breath? If you can answer yes to any of these questions, you might be suffering from workaholism. In the United States today, about seventeen percent of adults,...

I meet many married women who love their husbands but don’t love sex. Their question is always the same: they want to know why. Is it the stress of marriage, children, work? Or could it be more than sheer exhaustion or waning libido?   Could it have something to do with the sex they had before they got married? After more than 40 years...

Have you ever sat in a group of people and listened to someone describe a family member whose own agenda takes over from the rest of the family?  We have family members like that.  One family member has driven past our home numerous times a year and stopped in only once in eight years.  (We live five minutes from the freeway.)   We drive 3 ½...