Ah Sevilla! The beautiful land of flamenco, polka dots, paella, sangria, orange trees, Moorish architecture, painted fans, and labyrinth-like streets. Oh how I love it! And during Easter Week, Seville is home to one of the largest Semana Santa celebrations…
A 17 Year Blink
She sat across from me, her eyes tearing up. “I am at the end of an era. My youngest child just graduated from high school and my life will never be the same,” she said. This wasn’t an expression of…
Are You Selfish?
Recently I was at an exercise class (yes, it is a miracle that I’ve stuck with it for 6 months now!). A woman came running in at the last minute and said, “I just had my babysitter stay later so…
Be Curious, Not Furious
Curiosity may have killed the cat but it will do wonders for your relationship. The next time your partner, colleague, teenager, parent, or annoying friend does something that triggers your anger, stop . . . breathe . . . and…
Dog Gone
Why do they say “man’s best friend?” Surely, women and children are also succeptible to a dog’s unconditional love and bountiful affection. For me, Hickory, a golden retriever, was truly one of my dearest friends and companions for almost 15…
The Gift of Presence
My fourteen year old daughter has got modern multi-tasking down to a fine art. I might not have believed it possible until I saw it in action: she can watch a television program on her laptop, a music video on…
Ending a Chapter, Beginning a New
I watched, amused, as the young man spoke through gritted teeth, “Just take the picture!” This man-child had his arm around his mother’s shoulders while his father snapped a picture saying, “You don’t start college every day, you know. Smile.” …
Shortcuts to Inner Peace: A System for Stress Management
Sylvia, my client of several months, sat across from me, clearly agitated. This forty-something woman, mother of two teenage boys, going through a divorce but still living under the same roof with her soon-to-be-ex, crossed her denim clad legs exclaiming,…
Wait List
We have been waiting months to learn where our daughter will be going to college this fall. When the day finally came, we learned that her top college put her on their wait list . . . and so we…
Under the Sea
I just returned from the Bahamas with my daughter, Victoria. This was my third and final ‘Teen Trip’, 3 days and nights that I’ve taken with each of my children. Of all the pleasures of the cruise — staring out to…