…because thriving is the goal
There must be a strange connection between my need for assertiveness practice and ordering drinks. It’s always the drinks! I just wrote a post on assertiveness yesterday and how helpful grumpy baristas can be in our assertiveness practice; and, last night it happened again–the… Continue Reading “An Assertiveness Serendipity”
We are right in the middle of the holiday season. Hanukkah is here. Christmas Eve is the day after tomorrow. Kwanzaa begins on Friday. These are holidays that involve gathering with communities and families. Because of that, the holiday season can be a much… Continue Reading “The Three Kinds of Forgiveness”
I feel compelled to write this out, but I want to write it carefully. I don’t want to trigger anyone. I don’t often write explicitly about my past sexual abuse largely because I identify less and less with it. I have aggressively and relentlessly… Continue Reading “The Burden of WHY”
I have written somewhere in here that my marriage has been difficult. If you’re married for nearly two decades, then I think, at some point, there will come hard relational times. It’s inevitable and normal. I am someone who doesn’t like to put up… Continue Reading “Affective Deprivation Disorder and Alexithymia in Marriage”
I live in Minnesota. I overheard someone say once that we work for our seasons. That’s an oddly funny thing to say, but, if you live here, then you’ll understand the meaning in that sentiment. As a seasonal change approaches, the current weather patterns… Continue Reading “Abandoning the Self”
Recovery is something I have talked about on this blog. A lot. If we have experienced an iota of abuse or trauma in our lives, then we will have to commit to the process of healing and recovery. That’s life. That’s how we clean… Continue Reading “PTSD and DESNOS”
I recently spoke with a beloved friend experiencing emotional pain due to a family interaction. Her sentiments were familiar. This interaction was similar to an older one, and it brought forth latent feelings of ontological insignificance. “I don’t matter.” Isn’t this something we can… Continue Reading “You are the Masterpiece”
My youngest daughter asked me an unusual question today. She asked, “Mom, how come you turned out so normal?” We were in the car, and her question came out of the blue. She knows little about my history. It’s not as if I sit… Continue Reading “Cleaning Up Messes”
I was cleaning my kitchen yesterday evening. My mind will wander and open up when I clean my kitchen, scrub the counters, and unload the dishwasher. It must be akin to the Shower Principle. We do something so familiar to us that our minds… Continue Reading “A Visit from An Old Friend”