We have all probably heard the old adage, “A daughter is a daughter for life. But a son’s a son ’til he takes a wife.” As the mother of boys,…
Adult Children
When the Stepkids Are Adults
“I’ve decided to begin some new techniques with my adult stepkids,” stepmom Nancy shared with me. “I sent an email to my step daughter-in-law sharing how I wanted to begin a…
6 Hot Tips for a Successful Family Reunion
Exhausting, exhilarating, bonding, hysterical and oh yeah, did I mention exhausting?? Yes! We just had our annual “Yates Family Reunion.” We have 5 kids, all married and 21 grandchildren- 14…
Stepfamily Suggestions for Weddings, Graduations and Proms, Oh My!
There’s nothing like a wedding, graduation, prom, or special occasion to get the tension taut in a stepfamily. That’s because dreams, family traditions, and high expectations are tied to these…
Are You Lonely?
The other day I went for a walk with a friend of mine. At some point on the trail she said to me, “This week I have been feeling lonely….
4 Reasons Your Friends Will Go See ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’
It’s not news: The reading habits of over 100 million have cannibalized the rest of the publishing world. EL James’s Fifty Shades of Grey has set the record as the…
Praying for the Men in Our Lives
I waited as long as I could for Ray to come to bed but sleep overtook me. I knew it was like so many times before that one of our…
The Best Thing About My Sons: Their Wives
I have two fine sons, amazing men. But when I think about it, one of best things they have ever done is to marry the women they did. When they…
Handling the Holidays During Loss or Grief
October through December can be an excruciating time of year for those who have experienced a loss. In addition to the death of a loved one, divorce, illness, family trauma,…
8 Things That Guarantee a Great Marriage
I was recently reading a shared post on Facebook that was titled, “8 things that your boyfriend hates but will never tell you” or something close to that. The author…