Relationships

In February of 2009, my siblings and I lost our mother. Without her, our lives have definitely changed. And although they say time heals all wounds, visiting her grave seems to get harder and harder as the years go...

Happy Husband Appreciation Day, y'all! Honestly, I didn't know this was a thing. But when the call for posts came out for this month and this was listed on April 17, I perked up, because April 17 is our 17th...

“Let me know if you need anything.”  “Call me if you need me.”  “I’m here for you.” These are all very sincere offers and sentiments, and we've all heard them before. We all know how it goes. Someone we care about experiences a...

When I was a kid, it was so easy to make friends. Neighborhood kids were the best kind of friends because of proximity. Every day after school, we'd knock on each others' doors and invite each other out to...

I often hear people say how they don’t get along with their mother-in-law. But I am so happy to say that my relationship with my mother-in-law was always great. I know a lot of mothers feel like no woman could...

I was recently contemplating a phenomenon I've encountered throughout my life that always makes me pause: people sharing strong opinions at unnecessary or unprompted times. I've been in the traditional workplace for 14 years and have witnessed the following on...

The year was 1998. The month was November, and I was a couple of days away from turning twenty-four. I was also only a couple of days away from losing the freedom of having a room of my own. See,...

Is love grandiose gestures or small thoughtful things? Ideally both, right? But where would you find that perfect man who would lavish you with large, over the top romantic outpourings on special occasions, and consistently shower you with small daily...

A lot of people base their lives off of titles. Because a person has a title (or special place) in your life, you feel as though they should be there. When a title doesn’t mean they have to love you....

My daughter loves Valentine's Day. She loves choosing the perfect cards to hand out to her classmates. She loves watching the special Valentine's Day episodes of her favorite shows. She loves baking Valentine's Day cookies with me and decorating...

I have been a real shrew lately. I mean, I have NO grace left to give and everyone around me knows it and feels it. I, like so many of us, am feeling super stressed right now. Let's face it...

We are raising children in a time of extreme division and pressure. It can leave parents wondering what they can do to make difference with limited time, resources, and potentially lack of knowledge. I sat down with a good friend...

2020 is the first year many of us can agree: it sucked.  A lot, if not most of us, know someone that has been sick or passed away from COVID-19.  I don't think I know anyone who hasn't had...

I'm not a good friend. And I'm not too proud to admit that. Before I had kids, I was a great friend. (If I do say so myself.) I was thoughtful and remembered birthdays. I celebrated my friends' successes. I...