“Nothing ever goes away until it has taught us what we need to know.” ~Pema Chadron The hardest part of hearing the words, “I’m sorry, but you have cancer” at the age of thirty was knowing I had to tell my mother and my husband. Why? Not because I was afraid of their reaction, although […]
“Some people are in such utter darkness that they will burn you just to see a light. Try not to take it personally.” ~Kamand Kojouri The saying goes that money makes the world go round, but of course that’s not true. It’s our relationships. How we relate to other people and how they relate to […]
“No person is your friend who demands your silence or denies your right to grow.” ~Alice Walker When I was a child and in my early teenage years, I was a free bird. I laughed easily, loved life, never worried, and dreamed big. I thought the best of others, the glass was always full. I […]
“I understand the life around me better, not from love, which everyone acknowledges to be a great teacher, but from estrangement, to which nobody has attributed the power of reinforcing insight.” ~Nirad C. Chaudhuri I was brought up to understand that family is family. So I have naturally given great weight to the importance of […]
“Love rests on two pillars: surrender and autonomy. Our need for togetherness exists alongside our need for separateness.” ~ Esther Perel Healthy relationships require a delicate balance of intimacy and autonomy, giving and receiving, self and other. As we struggle to walk this delicate tightrope, we might feel less like graceful acrobats and more like […]
I love the holidays. I eagerly anticipate the first snowfall, adore the scent of pine, and watch It’s A Wonderful Life every year without fail. That said, even the merriest among us know that the holidays can be emotionally, physically, and psychologically taxing. In addition to buying gifts, negotiating travel plans, and shuttling from gathering […]
“When you say yes to others, make sure you are not saying no to yourself.” ~Paulo Coelho “Yes, of course…” “Yes, that’s no trouble at all…” “Yes, I can do that…” “Yes, I’d love to help…” Yes, yes, yes. “Yes” seemed to be the key word in my relationships with partners, family, friends, and colleagues. I wanted […]
“When I loved myself enough, I began leaving whatever wasn’t healthy. This meant people, jobs, my own beliefs and habits—anything that kept me small. My judgment called it disloyal. Now I see it as self-loving.” ~Kim McMillen I like to think of my inner self as a curly-haired stick figure who lives inside my chest […]
“Daring to set boundaries is about having the courage to love ourselves, even when we risk disappointing others.” ~Brené Brown Do you have the courage to love yourself and set the boundaries you need? For years I didn’t, and wondered why my life didn’t work. I didn’t really understand what boundaries were or why I […]
“Compassion is not a relationship between the healer and the wounded. It’s a relationship between equals.” ~Pema Chodron The technical term is Baader-Meinhof phenomenon. This is when one stumbles upon a new, unfamiliar, or unusual piece of information, and soon encounters that same subject again, within a short time, sometimes repeatedly. So, for example, you […]
