Posts Tagged: coping

Family Dynamics

December 27th, 2013
Posted By:

I’m sure I’m stating the obvious when I say that every family has its own dynamic and its own way of relating to each other and I think that this special form of communication developed within the family over the years is revealed in its barest form on a holiday.
Let me tell you about mine.  Please?  Okay.  At least a little bit.
Take 15 adults, 8 grandchildren in their teens and twenties, 6 children under the age of six and one newborn baby and put them all together in close quarters for a number of hours and what do … Read More

Christmas Eve 2013

December 24th, 2013
Posted By:

Have you been naughty or nice this year? Santa knows which one, and as the song says, he’s making a list and checking it twice! On this Christmas Eve, that seemed to arrive so quickly this year, I hope Santa is good to you and brings you exactly what you wished for.  Santa is one busy dude you know so don’t forget to put out the milk and cookies for him!  Sometimes we leave him a nice cold beer because we know that with all of his dashing around that he has worked up quite a thirst! Photo Courtesy of… Read More

It’s A Wonderful Life

December 23rd, 2013
Posted By:

This time of year I am always on the lookout for when “It’s Wonderful Life,” is airing on television. I could buy the DVD of this holiday classic but that would take the spontaneity out of it for me.  I like the surprise of turning on the television and finding it already on, or in the case of this past Friday evening, I caught it right at the very beginning. I know that it’s not a diverse film, I know that many things that happen in this film are dated and wouldn’t be said or wouldn’t happen today but I… Read More

Summertime Music In December

December 18th, 2013
Posted By:

Baby, it’s cold outside isn’t it? Weather predictions of flurries, dropping temperatures and possible black ice bring with it winter’s outer armor of boots, scarves, gloves and woolen hats.  Meanwhile, kids around the nation are praying for snowstorms to arrive for Santa Claus and Christmas and extra days off from school. And in the midst of all this Winterness, a friend tweeted this rockin’ new video (see below) titled “Keep This In” by Phillip Noss that transports me to one of my favorite places: THE BEACH!!!! Santa Delivers To The Beach Doesn’t He? I love the warm, breezy feel to… Read More

You Can’t Sit Back & Wait

December 16th, 2013
Posted By:

Did you ever complain about something you thought was going to be a great experience but then it turned out to be terribly disappointing? If you happened to complain to my mother about such a thing, then she would probably tell you that you have no one to blame but yourself because everyone knows that you have to emotionally invest to get a joyous return.  Or put another way, you get out of it what you put into it. Which is also another way of saying that you can’t sit on your butt and wait for stuff to come to… Read More

Newtown One Year Anniversary

December 14th, 2013
Posted By:

Today we pause and pray for the community of Newtown, Connecticut and in particular for the families of the 26 victims shot in the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School.  At a press conference earlier this week, the families asked that people remember the 6 adults and 20 children on this tragic one year anniversary by performing an act of kindness or volunteering with a community group. You can visit their new website at www.mysandyhookfamily.org… Read More

Bridget’s Affirmation

December 13th, 2013
Posted By:

When one of my nieces was three years old, she started going to nursery school for part of the day a few times a week.  Her mother (my sister) knew that while she was at school she would start to miss Mommy at some point so she taught her daughter to say to herself, “There is no need to cry.  Everything will be all right.  Mommy will be right back.” My sister was ahead of her time because she was teaching my niece to say an affirmation to herself even though she didn’t know what an affirmation was or what… Read More

The Quiet Gift

December 11th, 2013
Posted By:

“Perhaps the most important thing we ever give each other is our attention […] a loving silence often has far more power to heal and to connect than most well-intentioned words.”             ~ Rachel Naomi Remen… Read More