Choosing Love: How We Keep Our Love Alive After 13 Years Together
I was hooked the moment I saw him. It wasn't the thunderclap or jolt of electricity I'd expected to experience when I fell in love. It was as though something finally shifted into place--something I didn’t even know was missing. I've always enjoyed…
How Is Your Endurance?
Part One of a Five-Part Series on Patience in Relationships Endurance means both “bearing hardship,” which can be negative, and “staying power,” which can be positive. Endurance is an aspect of patience and perseverance but it can mean both pluck as…
My 18-Year-Old Son Went on a Road Trip Across Texas and I Survived
“I want to go to Marfa with some friends after graduation.” "I want to go to Marfa with some friends." This statement from my son struck fear into me instantly. I had visions of him riding in a car with other 18-year-olds on lonely and unlit Texas…
Kind Over Popular: Teaching Kindness in a High-Achieving World
Over the years I've spoken to countless moms who are troubled by their children being bullied at school. It seems that bullying is getting worse and worse, but maybe this is just my perception. It has come to my attention more and more that many of…
Can a Different Kind of Honesty Lead to the Marriage of Your Dreams?
Honesty isn't just for major events in your married life. Honesty in small, everyday conversation is a key factor in marriage maintenance, for a "together forever" relationship. Vacuuming gets rid of tiny pieces of dirt--though they aren't…
Finding the Gift in the Garbage: There’s Something Positive for You Even in the Worst Calamity
“The mind is its own place and can make a heaven of hell or a hell of heaven." Paradise Lost, by John Milton Have you ever experienced something terrible? Did you wonder why? Did you wonder if you were supposed to learn something from it or…
Making Decisions Together Can Make You Happy!
When you two make decisions, does one of you expect to win? That means one of you has to lose. When you make decisions together, do you become rivals? If your partner’s strength is logic, and yours is intuition, do you spend time beforehand lining…
When Is It Wrong to Be Right?
You have a viewpoint based on your perception of the world at that time - your culture, personality, and experiences. The advantage of having a group discussion or consultation is that the issue can be seen from more points of view than you have.…
Do You Want Your Relationship to Be Special All Year Long or Only on Holidays?
What Kind of Relationship Do You Want to Have With Your Sweetheart? How long do you think your mutual joyousness will last? A year? Five years? Has it already hit the doldrums? Are you a little bit worried? There's hope. Let me tell you about…
The Surprising Key to a Bountiful Marriage: Creating and Respecting Space
This blog post might as well have been called “An Ode to my Husband”. We met a little over 12 years ago and got married 10 years ago. All my convictions of why marriage wasn’t for me, why nobody would actually want to marry me, how I did not deserve…