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Can We Have Some Pickles with That Sandwich?
JULIE: It is 7 a.m. and I’m awake before the alarm, mind racing as I go over the mental checklist of what needs to be done today. John is out cold. He is exhausted from the physical and mental demands of the past week of caring for his parents while helping them sort through and pack up a lifetime’s worth of belongings. Now it is moving day, the day they will start their final chapter together in assisted living. The melancholy in the air is stifling.
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I Could Use Some Help!
You may have heard the analogy that men are like waffles, women like spaghetti. Neuroscientists have found that typically the male brain focuses on one thing at a time while females tend to mentally juggle multiple thoughts. For example, when a man is doing the dishes, he’s thinking about…the dishes. When a woman is doing the dishes, she might be thinking about the grocery list, that salad for the picnic on Saturday, the dentist appointment tomorrow, and that she needs to call her parents to see how they’re doing. All this mental and emotional work is invisible, but it can be exhausting.
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Got Stress?
Photo above courtesy of Matteo Vistocco on Unsplash While writing a check for a major expense recently, Mel said, “You seem agitated.” to which Mark replied, “This is a lot of money!” Mel’s light-hearted response was, “They’re only numbers.” Mark paused, and then laughed, “Yet another example of how we are completely opposite.” And we smiled at each other.
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7 Strategies for Coping with Crisis
Ken: For better or worse, for richer or poorer, in good times and bad… that’s what we signed up for. But when difficulties arise it’s hard to recall the passion we had on our wedding day. If you’re going through hard times right now, how do you find your way through?
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Marriage Under Quarantine
This week we created a fun video to get you re-focused on your relationship while locked in quarantine together. Click on video below! Leave a comment on the creative ways you’re growing your relationship during the coronavirus outbreak!
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3 Steps to a Better Work – Life Balance
Let’s face it – being married and raising a family is hard work. Add in demanding work schedules, children’s activities, volunteer work, and making time for family and friends, and it can be overwhelming. Here are three ways we’ve discovered to keep our work-life better balanced.
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Haven’t we had this fight before?
Photo by Vera Arsic from Pexels Jen: Life, kids, work and extra-curricular activities suck up so much of our energy each day, that when it comes to interacting with each other, we are often at the end of our rope. When we are having a disagreement we’ve had more than once, I feel worn down and don’t want to deal with it.
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Unmet Needs
We’ve been extra busy lately – on weekends and weekdays alike. With everything that we committed to, there just hasn’t been much time for fun or relaxation.
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Sacred Space
Steph: Do you have enough time in your day to quiet your mind long enough to reflect on your life? Life is so busy with work, chores, children’s activities, that I find it hard to allow my mind to wander and dream. It seems I have to put a reminder on my phone for everything. If I don’t set aside even a small amount of time each day for peace, quiet, and reflection, how can I ever find the space to ask life’s big questions (or even the little ones)?
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In-Laws or Outlaws?
Paul: For many married couples, in-laws can be a source of great stress and discontent. We are fortunate that our experience has been very different. When we were first married, I really appreciated how my parents treated Stephanie like their own daughter. They engaged her in meaningful conversation, sought out her opinion about things, and made it a point to include her in all family events.