There are at least as many ways in which parenting is wonderful as it is challenging.   My kids teach me things almost daily (I’m guessing you can relate).  Their wisdom catches me off guard sometimes and I’m stuck sitting there dumbfounded, mouth agape without a word to say.  One of the ways they teach me is with their play.  They seem to have …

A while back, I conducted an initial therapy session with a family: Mom, Dad and sixteen-year-old son. Let’s call him James. Mom and son sat on the couch, dad on an adjacent chair. The presenting issue was the son’s disrespect at home, and failure to engage fully at school. I always start by asking, “Why are we here?” Mom answered. …

As I was finishing up a run in the forest preserve yesterday I noticed an older woman walking with 2 plastic bags towards the woods.  Wait, is that my neighbor from across the street?  She was a ways away from me but it sure looked like her.  And, what is she doing with those bags?  Hmm, that’s odd.  I put it out of my mind …

Last night I was sitting alone on my back deck on a beautiful summer night and was a little beat down from a long week.  I listened to some soft music (Natalie Merchant) and just sat there.  I began thinking about my mom who died in front of me in a hospital room almost six years ago.  I began feeling …

I am 57 years old. Let’s say for the simplicity of round numbers, adulthood starts at 17. Therefore, I have been an “adult” for 40 years (damn!). For the first 30 of those adult years, I was a workaholic, mostly overweight, impatient, and selfish. My favorite hobby was drinking.  Then, yoga. This post isn’t meant to be some over the …

After I’m done with the workday, I generally go out for a stroll through the neighborhood to unwind, get some fresh air and move my bones.   One of the things I enjoy doing on these walks is to check out how people choose to care for their homes and yards.  How they like to landscape, what flowers they plant, how meticulously …

About 3 or 4 years ago, I attended my first MenLiving meeting. Today, I am MenLiving’s Board President and a very involved day to day volunteer. But, honestly, I’m still not particularly comfortable with the concepts of traditional “men’s work,” and topics like male archetypes and exploring what happened to me when I was 5. So, here is why I …

I’m lying in bed at 4 o’clock am thinking of how things could have gone better in our Sales and Customer Service Coordination meeting today – that’s never a good thing…OR, could it be?  I’m reminded of what this meeting is intended for (something many of us, myself included, often forget or never really give a thought to in the first …