My college major was special education. I loved learning about and working with kids who learned differently. Kids who didn’t quite know how to do things “right.” My friends and I were full of pride and passion about our ability to accept and love our students as they were. We cheeredContinue Reading
Have you ever noticed that some folks just seem to breeze through those challenging moments that would make you just want to explode? Have you ever wondered how they manage to do that? I suspect that these “Teflon people,” who let so many things just slide off, have really just learned to viewContinue Reading
Someone in your life is concerned about your well-being. For the umpteenth time, that person has inquired about your well-being. At this point, what you’d really like to do is just say “STOP!” And you might just start feeling like a rebellious kid again – complete with eye roll andContinue Reading
A while back, I had a brief chat with a rather impatient man on line in front of me at Costco. His impatience with having to wait was obvious. He paced next to his cart, sighed, and rolled his eyes at me. Since I can’t resist starting a conversation atContinue Reading
A little while ago, I posted some tips on carrying out New Year’s resolutions. (See post below this one.) Then I re-read what I wrote and realized that it isn’t obvious how this topic fits in with my overall theme of effective communication, anger, conflict in the family and atContinue Reading
Today turned out to be so much better than I’d expected. Tired, way too busy, and not feeling very social, I almost passed on being part of a magnificent experience! But, I’d made a commitment and couldn’t think of a good reason not to honor it. And, besides, a promiseContinue Reading
Families sometimes forget how important those words are. After all, we’re family. We know we love and care about each other. We don’t have to watch our language, be careful about how we say things – right? Well…… maybe. Sometimes. With those close to us, it’s true that we tendContinue Reading
So – you’re an adult now. In your 20s, 30s, 40s or older. It doesn’t matter. As soon as you get together with your family, you might end up feeling like that little kid or teen you once were. Families just tend to have that effect on most of us!Continue Reading
Overheard at the mall: “She’s just gonna do it again! It always happens, so why should I go?” And, the reply: “Because you just have to!” (A conversation between two 30-something women that seemed to be about attending a family event.) Well…… adults rarely “just have to!” More often, the storyContinue Reading
It was supposed to be just an ordinary conversation. All you really wanted was to get your point across – quietly and without conflict. But, suddenly, there you are again – in the middle of an argument you’d planned to avoid. And, once again, someone is angry at you –Continue Reading