Things Are Not Always As They Appear
The ripples of the August heat rise off the road, visually blurring the traffic lined up in front of me as we wait in the New Jersey Shore traffic. I am feeling claustrophobic, boxed in by cars on all sides. I have my window open – air surfing – you know – where you make …Read More
Be Their Layer (Being Your Partner’s Rock)
For those of you who have never been rock climbing, the bilayer is the person who handles the line that supports the climber. It’s a very important role since, without that person to feed the line to the climber and make sure the catch is engaged and anchored, the climber could get hurt or even …Read More
Sex and Candy
I find that being a mother and a sexual being is a conundrum. By this, I mean they are a bit like oil and water – a challenging mix of roles. In our house we have these pocket doors leading into our master bedroom that were not proving to be very “private” at all, so …Read More
The Courage of Forgiveness
It’s a New Year and I am a lucky woman to be on a plane headed to paradise. There’s nothing like a brand new year and a quiet, long plane ride to make one reflective. It has me thinking about where I have been… Mistakes, lessons, pain, incidents, loss, failures and issues – so much …Read More
I Think I Fell Out of Love With My Husband
Some counseling sessions are just down right startling. I distinctly recall this one couple and the way they entered their first session at their initial intake looking unusually happy –perhaps some nervous energy, I thought. He wiggled in his seat and checked out my degrees, licenses, and certifications and other objects in the room. She …Read More
Emotional Landmines
It’s a typical Thursday evening. Mayhem has ensued in the homework area while I am cutting up the salad ingredients. Bickering fills the kitchen and my tolerance is rapidly dwindling. “Really,” my little voice inside says. “Why must siblings be so mean? “ Then I think, “Is it a hazing type of thing? Breaking one …Read More
The Love Of The Fight And The Need To Be Right
I can vividly recall my childhood visits to my grandparent’s house in the small coastal town of Sea Girt, New Jersey. We’d arrive to the aroma of her homemade clam chowder simmering along with the hint of sweet vanilla lingering in the air as her creamy cheesecake cooled in the counter. There was art everywhere …Read More
The Ripple Effect
When I was a girl, I loved to play at my best friend’s house. She had this awesome farm on seemingly endless acres along with a pond and a nearby stream where we would spend the majority of our time skipping stones. We’d gather a bunch of rocks and stand by the edge of the …Read More
Our Own 50 Shades of Grey
“It’s grey today,” I murmur as I wrestle with my bra clasp and rummage through my underwear drawer, scavenging for something lacy, bright and racy to offset the grey. He’s in his bathroom and I’m in mine. His mouth is full of toothpaste as he gurgles back, “Yes indeed, my dear.” He always calls me …Read More
The Child Within
In seconds I can be there. I smell the classroom, my Hello Kitty erasers, Elmer’s glue, and the dusty chalk smell that always hung in the air. We are doing the dreaded multiplication game from hell. My palms start to sweat, my heart pounds and my chest tightens. I HATE this game. My internal voice …Read More