Vacationing as a Widow
Vacationing as a widow changes your perspective. Do relationships look the same on land and at sea? I’m on a cruise with my sister and brother-in-law, and as much as I love them, it’s my first vacation without my husband. My sweet Rex died a year and a half ago and I am still trying […]
Caution: Set Designer at Work
My husband Rex was a brilliant set designer. He did his best work in the scene shop behind the theatre at Cal State Dominguez Hills, where we worked together for 25 years. The shop was 50 x 100 feet with 30 foot ceilings, and every inch had a designated purpose. There was a long work bench […]
Is It OCD Or Coping With Life?
I move the books on my wall unit so they’re grouped by height. Am I being OCD, or is this just how I cope? Standing back to admire my work, I think, “Hmmm…I need a vase or a sculpture next to the books on the second shelf.” I try a red vase…too bright. Then I […]
Does the Soul Survive?
I’ve always struggled with the concept of life after death. Does our soul lives on in the minds and hearts of those we’ve touched? Can it exist separately on another dimension? If the soul survives, is it possible to actually communicate with a lost loved one? Can they come to us in times of need […]
When Great Souls Die: Mother and Rex
Would my life have been different if my mother had lived beyond my 14th year? She was my universe, and I revolved around her like a planet orbiting the sun. It was safe and predictable, and I knew where I belonged. My mother died suddenly, after a five year illness that was kept secret […]
My Mother’s Story
Losing a mother in childhood leaves many unanswered questions. My mother’s story has been pieced together from faded memories, old photographs and isolated anecdotes. I hope it does justice to the woman I knew for only 14 years. We are all shaped by our history, and Janet’s was shaped by love. But it was also […]
Moving Forward by Moving to L.A.
I’m trying to move forward after losing my husband, by moving near my son and daughter-in-law. They welcomed a 5th child into their family a week ago and she’s a beauty. Yesterday they all came over, along with my daughter and her family. The kids had a ball playing together in the pool, and we […]
Divorce: How to Keep Your Child Out of the Middle
Children are the innocent victims of divorce. They don’t ask for it, they don’t cause it, but their living conditions are often disrupted by it. Here are some ways you, as a parent, can make it easier for them: 1. Divorce is Not Their Fault: Most Kids will internalize the conflict in your relationship or act […]
Communication Basics: Stop Yelling At Me
If your relationship is stuck in a cycle of blame, you probably wonder what happened to the communication that brought you together. It may work in politics, but blaming your partner will never get your needs met in a relationship. You have a better chance of recapturing the intimacy with a few simple tools from Marshall […]
Mother–Daughter Love
Mother-Daughter Love I’m taking my morning walk through the beautiful hills of Palos Verdes, with the ocean spread out before me. If only this majestic landscape could translate into the texture of my life. But I am thinking about my daughter and our recent conversation is circlilng through my head. In spite of the gorgeous […]