205 S Main St, Sharpsburg, PA 15215, USA
Relationships are the most important part of our life and improving them matters. Making just one simple change could make a huge difference. When something bothers you our first instinct is to avoid & deflect talking about it in all our relationships. Then in our silence our self-righteousness grows. Then… Continue Reading
Control means you like power. Everybody likes power. It is the nature of human relationships to struggle for power at work, at home or with friends. Some people have power in passive aggressive ways; "I'll smile at you now & undermine you later." Some people withhold information. Some people blow… Continue Reading
The Beatles were wrong in their lyrics "All you Need is Love." because that's only true for the first 6 through 9 years. Love makes the beginning of relationships so wonderfully, gloriously CERTAIN. Love keeps us drunk with certainty. It's Tina that knows the truth. Beginnings are the hardest part… Continue Reading
[caption id="attachment_2431" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Drawn by Linda Wallen[/caption] There seem to be enormous numbers of people who won't apologize. Apologizing requires openness & vulnerability. Many people hide behind the fallback emotion of anger that rings falsely because it is too puffed up & noisy. Easy access to anger is all… Continue Reading
Weddings usually make me squirm in my seat because they are so syrupy sweet. What's missing? Something that injects everyone with the seriousness of what's happening, beyond the party & celebration. It's my nature to take the long view, instead of only focusing on the happy moment. So many marriages… Continue Reading
This post is written for my son Aaron who marries Kate today. I love this picture because it captures their playfulness together. Love is crucial because it greases the beginnings. It's also not enough to sustain a marriage to last more than a decade. Love depends on trust, honesty &… Continue Reading
Claudia Puig of USA Today gives this delightful movie 3 1/2 stars out of 4. She says "Theres no chance of a happy ending, but its tender mercies speak volumes." I concur. After the two most recent posts on victims participating in terrible relationships, its clear this is true for… Continue Reading
These are my least favorite words in the English language! In my office, I bump into it all too often. It is an ordinary belief that sets up enormous disappointment. I don't understand why so many people are enchanted by this complete fabrication of what it means to be in… Continue Reading
Forty years ago I wish someone would have explained to me that the core of my in law problems were about their values of what was proper. I remember my brother in law observing "You guys are like oil & water." This did not offer me any understanding. Being a… Continue Reading
Over & over couples find themselves happy to be back in their relationships that were once thought lost. I ask, "What have you both decided will be different this time around?" Not once has anyone given me an answer. This oft-repeated experience is called premature reconciling. Both partners are caught… Continue Reading
