Tag Archives: relationships
Reconnecting at College Reunions
Celebrating Father’s Day on Sunday, I was thinking about all the men who have played such important roles in my life – my dad, husband, sons, grandsons, close male friends. We women love them and try to socialize them but do we really understand them? I’ve mused here in the past about the men in our lives and this week we’ll take another look at some of our differences. Last week, I joined my husband at his 50th college reunion and noticed how he and his old friends, many of … Continue reading
Posted in well-being, your self
Tagged closeness, college, communication, competition, men, pranks, relationships, reunion, women
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Love and Simple Acts of Kindness
Think about when you and your partner fell in love. That alchemy continues throughout life, and how we treat each other matters. We can change neural functions when we’re more compassionate. And holding hands is enough to reduce stress. The possibilities for opening our hearts are endless: Express gratitude. If you notice a caring gesture or a job well done, why not mention it? You may be pleasantly surprised at what you get in return. Inject humor. Lightheartedness is often the first casualty of a busy life. Humor, playfulness and … Continue reading
Posted in intimate partner, stress, well-being, your self
Tagged compassion, euphoria, gratitude, humor, love, marriage, oxytocin, partners, relationships, stress
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Healing Family Wounds
Tuesday’s blog post focused on how divorce and parenting style can cause a breach in your relationship with your adult children. As a marriage and family therapist, I know there are all kinds of reasons why parents and adult children become distant. The experts used to think that negative behavior was due to bad parenting. But decent parents can raise difficult kids. Some may have a demanding temperament from birth, are harder to parent or are less responsive to influence. It’s been said that you’re only as happy as your least … Continue reading
Posted in adult children, aging parents, extended family, intimate partner, parenting kids, sandwich generation, stress, well-being, your self
Tagged " adult children, family counseling, family reunions, family wounds, healing, negative behavior, parents, relationships, siblings, sisters
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AMOUR: Lessons from the 2013 Best Foreign Film
Although the 2013 Academy Awards are history, one gem – Amour – will continue to shine. This heartbreaking and unflinching movie was painful to watch but it stimulated conversations with more questions than answers. As the people we love decline, how do we deal with the inevitable suffering? Austrian filmmaker Michael Haneke tackled this subject and won the 2013 Academy Award for best foreign language film. The leads, veteran French actors Jean-Louis Trintignant and Emmanuelle Riva, play a vital Parisian couple in their 80s whose happy marriage gradually unravels. A retired music … Continue reading
