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This week I was on a panel at a professional association to talk about business networking. In my mind business networking is really no different than dating (I write a lot about dating, marriage, and...
12/12/2016 02:36 EST
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My dad died a decade ago -- in the sixth month of the year '06. It didn't feel like my dad was gone, his presence was so strong. My children probably felt this too. They say energy doesn't die, it transforms. My dad knew about energy, as his early vocation was as an electrical engineer.
06/15/2016 02:45 EDT
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It's so easy to take our partners for granted, especially when we've been together for a while (like my husband and me). Instead, my husband thanks me for my work even if it's on my side of the domestic ledger, and I try to do the same.
03/21/2016 05:21 EDT
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There is so much hype about the holidays. Unfortunately, our romantic notions are too often dashed and replaced with resentment, exhaustion and financial stress. But it doesn't have to be that way. With a bit of compromise, perspective and goodwill, you can survive and even thrive as a dynamic duo.
12/22/2015 01:28 EST
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I would be mortified if my husband ever discovered my university marks. I shudder to think how he would feel. Probably duped. He's attracted to brainy women, and it was a sleight of hand living with philosophers. I was only "academic" by association. The brainy aura of my roommates bathed me in a beautiful sharp light.
10/21/2015 04:11 EDT
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If you're feeling a little weepy as you peer into deserted bedrooms (and maybe a touch annoyed that the little darlings forgot to make their beds before they left), I get it. It can be a tough transition, and it may take some time to adjust to your new reality of an empty nest.
09/09/2015 08:25 EDT
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I'm a big believer in some personal autonomy. I don't feel I owe it to my husband to share every one of my deepest and darkest secrets. And I don't push him to tell me everything on his mind either. God no, I don't want to know everything on his mind. I'm a gal who enjoys a bit of mystery and his over-sharing would be a buzz kill. But there is a difference between "thought" and "action". It's fine to fantasize -- no harm is done.
08/19/2015 12:31 EDT
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I recently read a study that found that more than 40 percent of couples believe that fighting helps keep the lines of communication open. Tackling problems head on can be better for a relationship than bottling things up. But as experts point out, not all arguments are created equal.
07/17/2015 05:26 EDT
Janet Kopper
My mom died a few days after Mother's Day last year. A week earlier, she gave me an unexpected gift. There are so many tragedies that happen every single day in hospitals, but my story has a happy ending. She gave me a second chance to find peace in my relationship with her.
05/07/2015 06:11 EDT
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My dog was carefully assessed, x-rayed, and operated on by the best veterinary surgeon, and then received excellent private follow-up care. All of this cost several thousands of dollars. I did not think twice about spending the money. But after reading a piece in the New York Times recently, John and I began to grapple with the ethics of directing so much money to an animal.
04/24/2015 12:58 EDT
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This Valentine's Day, why not leave the pre-fab cards on the rack and buy a blank one instead? You can customize your own declaration of love on an open canvas. The possibilities are endless, and it will take only marginally more effort to compose your own Valentine than to buy one ready-made. Here are some tips for your do-it-yourself Valentine.
02/11/2015 06:09 EST
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I'm all for flirting and having fun at a business event. But there is a difference between playful flirting that builds rapport and predatory flirting that crosses the line of professional conduct. Let's all have some fun while keeping in mind that our professional reputations are as fragile as those beautiful ornaments on the Christmas tree.
12/07/2014 10:49 EST
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The Ghomeshi story is a very good reminder about the role mothers need to play in educating our sons early and often about sex and relationships. While both parents share responsibility for sex education, I think there are some areas in which moms have more street credibility.
11/02/2014 09:56 EST
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How does passion turn into pal-ship? Perhaps the very nature of sharing space with someone can breed too much familiarity. It's easy to get comfortable, even sloppy, when we live with each other day in and day out. What message does it send when I leave our house looking polished and revert immediately to comfy cellmate attire when I come home?
09/25/2014 05:13 EDT
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My sister and I have been putting my mom's life into boxes. She died two months ago, so we are sorting through her things deciding what we keep, what goes to others who loved her, and what gets shipped off to strangers in need.
08/11/2014 08:37 EDT
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Yup, the sad truth is that dads with young kids probably get less sex. But rather than fretting about this sad state of affairs, a far better strategy is to keep the small sparks of desire burning until the fireworks can begin again.
07/14/2014 12:22 EDT
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I knew immediately what John was talking about. I am prone to self-absorption, lost in my own thoughts. I pretend to listen, but John is no fool -- it's obvious to him that the imaginary conversations inside my head are too often more important than the real conversations between us. No wonder he sometimes feels that he is not that important.
06/30/2014 01:09 EDT
My mom went into cardiac arrest last Friday, following several weeks in hospital with an acute infection. She died, and was resuscitated. In the ICU, with my mother unresponsive and motionless, I found an odd sanctuary in which to reflect on our unique mother-daughter relationship.
05/09/2014 12:14 EDT
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It is easy not to notice when a relationship is fraying bit by bit. Our relationship seemed fine, and even better than fine. But spending those weekends together made us realize just how much we had missed each other. Our resurrection weekends kept the embers of our relationship burning. It was this yearly injection of passion that kept our love alive during those kid-centred years.
04/18/2014 11:54 EDT
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Who would have thought something as innocuous as Twitter could be the very thing that brings our generation of lovers down? It's time to stand up to the dark forces of social media and leverage them to our relationship advantage.
04/13/2014 10:43 EDT
