Letting Go...To Grasp What Really Matters
The red hat I wore during my last retreat of 2022 got a lot of compliments. People noted how the hat “suited me” and said I wore it well. I really wanted to explain that it was much more than a fabulous accessory, but I didn’t have the words then. I do now, and I’ve written them down in hopes…
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“I don’t remember last Thanksgiving. Where did we go? What did we do?” Those were the words of my sixteen-year-daughter as our family of four drove to get a Christmas tree. Her comment did not surprise me. Traumatic periods of life can get blocked out for self-protective purposes. My husband and my older daughter chimed in with benign tidbits about…
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Have you ever heard a statement that you immediately knew would change your life? That’s how I felt when my then 15-year-old daughter Avery shared her thoughts about a negative comment made about her hair. She’d been going through some serious challenges at the time, and in an effort to individuate and gain a clearer sense of self, she decided…
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This summer, I got the Best ‘Worst’ Advice for helping teens become more autonomous, meaning they learn to help themselves. Best ‘Worst’ Advice? How can it be both, you ask? I’d love to explain (and find out I am not alone in this) … See, it all started at the summer orientation hosted by my daughter’s college back in June. I was seated…
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I was perfectly capable of making the long drive and transporting the precious cargo all by myself. But then someone who loves me very much unexpectedly offered to go along. I didn’t say yes right away. Although I am becoming more receptive to accepting help, my gut reaction is to take care of things independently. The person who loves me…
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In dripping wet clothes, I hastily scanned the meager selection of office supplies at my local drug store. What item was so important that I had to go out at 8pm in the middle of a thunderstorm to get? I didn’t even know. But what I did know was that in less than 24 hours, sixteen family members would be coming in…
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