Why Ask Why?
You will never be stronger in your resolve than if you have a ready answer for the question “why,” because knowing why grounds you in your values and gives you something to hold on to when those values are questioned.
Adopting the Ache
Ultimately I know it is not my job to fix my daughter's problem, but to walk with her through it. To provide strength and guidance for the journey, not solutions or short cuts to bring the destination nearer.
Beware the Bear: How to Initiate the Awkward Conversation
Our stance should never be to teach someone else a lesson, but to invite them into a conversation that will increase understanding.
It's Not All Good, but Good is Still All Around
When was it that we began to see negativity as more “realistic” and positivity as mere “pie in the sky?” Life is not all roses and rainbows and puppy dogs, to be sure, but can we acknowledge that roses and rainbows and puppies still abound?
Parents Need Friends Too
The friends who have witnessed my children's firsts alongside me, or been on the other end of the line when I had to call and gush or I had to call and cry, those are friends who have walked with me through some of the most significant moments of my life.
Loving by Transitivity
One of the challenges of parenting is learning to love the people your kids love because, well, because your kids love them. It’s the challenge of loving by transitivity.
Dropping the Seed
The more fully we understand our kids' deep-seated desire to make their own decisions toward their own desired ends, the better off we’ll be in fostering healthy relationships.
Ask Coach Carrington: Can You Come Home, Mommy?
I strongly encourage you to take your cues from your daughter. Search for ways to remind her that you think of her and love her while you are gone so that it strengthens her ability to cope with your absence.
Nighttime Visitor
I’m sure he saw the fire and the soft lighting and the woman sitting on the floor all alone with her computer and saw a big red target over my heart. He knows where to strike, and he’s a darn good shot.
Swimming in the Well
We are all deep wells. The waters are sometimes mysterious, churning in ways we least expect, but they always invite us to know ourselves more deeply.