Grandparents Denied Access to their Grandchildren
The holiday season is very difficult for estranged parents and grandparents. If your family has long standing traditions and you’re blocked from executing and sharing these traditions, it can be a double whammy. What to do? First, I suggest taking the focus off your kids …
Prior to my family estrangement, Thanksgiving was my favorite holiday. It was gratifying to sit at a beautiful dinner table, candles lit, delicious food passed among family and friends. Following the meal, we took turns expressing what we were grateful for. Inevitably, each person said …
There was an excellent article in the New York Times recently about recognizing the difference between selflessness and generosity. If you’re a parent or a grandparent, there’s a good chance you’ve read the book “The Giving Tree” by Shel Silverstein. It’s a story about a …
When we were young children, we took a nap everyday after lunch. It was believed that naps provided down time which contributed to the physical and mental development of a young child. It also prevented children from becoming overtired, which could affect their moods and …
I took my dog for a walk around a lake this morning. It was a beautiful morning, and it felt good to be alive and breathing the clean mountain air. We walked over to the edge where a woman waved from her small catamaran. I …
Mother’s Day is a holiday driven by sentimentality and commerce. Although it purports to celebrate all mothers, the holiday is completely disconnected from the reality of motherhood. In many cases, motherhood is fraught with sorrow, hurt, anger, neglect, abuse, disrespect, despair, worry, exhaustion, heartbreak, and …
The dictionary defines forbearance as “abstaining from the enforcement of a right.” Forbearance is quiet, patient and knowing. It refrains from pushing too hard, especially when it would be fruitless. It is noble in its practice of self-restraint. This excerpt from a poem, called “Forbearance” …
Man struggles to find life outside himself, unaware that the life he is seeking is within him. Kahlil Gabran Everyone asks me what I’m doing today on my birthday. In the past, my natal day would be a flurry of activity. I often looked to …
Ever since I was a child, I’ve searched for my true family, my tribe, my place in the world. I’ve yearned for a loving fortress to protect me from harm, and a place where I could find safety and sustenance. I’ve had many relationships, friendships, …
