Tag: love
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The “Little Things” That Make Life Beautiful
Nature’s gentle awakening is usually followed by my not-so-gentle awakening from my puppy as he springs onto the bed with his crazy, infectious excitement for life. I am not a morning person, but it is hard to resist the look of certainty in his eyes that the day will be a good one, no matter…
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4 Important Life Lessons I Share With My Kids
That crazy decision was terrifying at the time but I do believe it made us stronger, more resilient, and gave us an incredible learning opportunity. It has given me more time to recover in the wake of family crises, more time for self-care and exercise – the best therapy for my brain – and the…
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When The Worst Happens: Embracing Acceptance
Control isn’t necessarily a bad thing. There are valid reasons we put certain people in positions of control. However, as we’ve seen in recent stories of coercive control in relationships and the fears many of us felt about Trump’s win, it can be dangerous when it is abused. Relinquishing control is something some parents also…
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11 Life Lessons My Dog Taught Me
Prior to our vet’s final visit to our home, I cradled our fifteen-year old dog Luna in my arms, sobbing uncontrollably. I thought I was prepared, but in that moment of our total vulnerability, it was all too much. It felt wrong to end her life this way, and when her body went limp, and…
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Mental Illness: Why Love and Acceptance Must Be the First Line of Treatment
With love and acceptance – what I believe should be the first-line of treatment for people with mental illness – people like my son feel less isolated, judged and ashamed. Though “tough love” may be the gold standard approach to care for some mental illnesses, it is a risky choice and one that doesn’t necessarily…
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There Is No Better Education In Love, Compassion And Empathy Than Having A Child With Special Needs
A few weeks ago we went to a fundraiser. It was a black tie event to raise money for the family of an old colleague of the old man’s whose son broke his neck and damaged his spinal cord in a freak rugby accident recently. Alex Noble is their son’s name, and if anyone feels…
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Mothers: Admit It, We Never Stop Worrying About Our Kids
Mothers, be careful with those little comments you drop into the conversation each time you see your adult kids (who have left home) and look like they haven’t eaten a square meal that month. Photo by Caroline Hernandez on Unsplash You know the type – How much fruit are you eating? ARE YOU EATING? You’re…
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Empty-Nesting: You Know When It Is Time…
Photo by Mantas Hesthaven on Unsplash The old man and I became empty-nesters this week. Kurt has left the building. I swear he wasn’t pushed. We view our negotiations as closer to a manipulation that made sense – primarily, for him. Not once did we bring up the subject of our sanity in the conversation.…
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And The Progress Prize For Best Father This Father’s Day Goes To…
I’d like to say an early “Happy Fathers Day” to all those men for whom fatherhood hasn’t been quite what they expected, perhaps due to their own issues, the pressures of “toxic masculinity”, or perhaps because, (as in the old man’s case), they produced a square peg. First of all, I should probably justify my…
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I Must Thank My Son For His Mental Illness
The boy turned twenty-one last week, and while part of me wants to scream and holler with excitement, pride, and relief, the other part wants to sit in a corner, rocking and licking my wounds. Many of you will be familiar with our journey with Kurt, our son. It was one of the reasons I…
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My Kids Will Be Able To Say A Lot Of Things About Me, But Never That I Didn’t Love them.
A friend asked me the other day about how I felt about Mothers Day, and I knew that the question was loaded – you see, I haven’t had a mother for a long time. And for the first time, it struck me that I don’t view the celebration from the perspective of my own mother.…
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Why Every Parent Needs To Watch Lady Bird
Described by Empire as ‘A coming-of-age story like no other, Lady Bird is smart, emotional, funny and completely original. Rarely has a directorial debut been so assured, so singular and so heartwarmingly affecting,’ the movie Lady Bird has been critically acclaimed worldwide, and as a sucker for any movie that offers the secret to parenting, it…
LOUISA SIMMONDS 