Creating Good Times for the Sibling
I have 3 grown children. My middle daughter, Nava, has disabilities. Years ago when my kids were young, my schedule was greatly based around Nava’s after-school appointments. She had the speech therapist for stuttering, the gym for physical therapy, numerous doctor appointments, socialization groups at the Y, swimming at the Y, among others. The reality […]
My Daughter, My Teacher
My daughter, Nava, has been my role model, mentor and teacher in helping me cope with her toughest and scariest times in her life. She was the person to whom it was all happening while I as her mother stood by watching, contorted in my own emotional pain, but having to bring forth the strength […]
The Vision of Inclusion
Welcome to my second interview. Dan Habib is a photojournalist who has produced a documentary film, Including Samuel, which portrays the Habib family’s efforts to include their son, Samuel, in all aspects of their lives. Samuel has cerebral palsy. Mr. Habib speaks candidly and openly about what it’s like for him and his family to parent […]
Allowing Our Kids To Feel
As parents we naturally want to protect our children. We want to take away their hurts and make them feel better. It’s our parental instincts to want to make it all better. When it comes to feelings, we can’t always do that, nor is it best to; to try to whisk away their bad feelings […]
Divorce – How to Help Your Child Adjust, or Not
My husband and I have each been through a divorce. Our children are from our first marriages. I had what could be called a “good” divorce, while my husband ended up with a textbook case of horrific parental alienation syndrome, where he “lost” his daughter. We, as parents, can help or hinder our child’s […]
Stretching Yourself and Creating Smiles
I am pleased to reprint the first few paragraphs from my piece that was published on Lori Deschene’s fabulous website/blog, called Tiny Buddha. “Life begins at the end of your comfort zone.” Neale Walsh Have you ever thought about doing something way out there-and then done it? I became intrigued with Patch Adams and his philosophy of medicine and […]
Tending To Yourself Post-Divorce – 4 Ways To Begin To Heal
Been there, done that, as they say (whoever the “they” are). I had a fairly good divorce. But good or not, divorce, in-and-of itself, is a tremendous stressor. It’s one of the big ones. As with most life-altering events, powerful emotions arise, painful feelings can be overwhelming and adjustments to new situations need to occur. Healing, […]
Managing a Challenge of Sheer Inconvenience – How to Enjoy a Vacation Without Luggage
For someone who loves colors and funky things, buying a zebra-like suitcase was certainly in character. It also happens to make good traveling sense as it is easy to spot amid the sea of black appearing in the baggage claim area. But alas, even our “zebra” didn’t make it to join us on our Italian […]
The Habit of Gratitude
“Any emotion, any behavior can turn into a habit,” said psychologist Dr. Dan Gottlieb in speaking to me about his positive attitude. So basically we can increase the frequency of our positive feelings by practicing them. Studies have shown that acting the way we’d like to feel will actually help bring on the feeling. […]
Being There
“Just sit with me-” Dr. Daniel Gottlieb’s words from my interview with him in my previous post. This really resonated with me. These are four simple words; and yet they are so hard to carry out. I can vouch for that. When my daughter was in the intensive care unit on a respirator and I […]