It is a common desire to seek out the like-minded or similarly situated in society.  It gives us greater joy to share our passions with those who share them – consider a book club, or a professional association.  And in times of strife, we find comfort in those who understand our misery.      One of [...]

Those of us adept at keeping life going in unusually awkward or even terrible conditions are used to triage: making difficult reprioritization decisions in the moment.  As we move from crises to greater stability, we find that many of the characteristics and habits we developed in survival mode no longer serve us.  But I believe [...]

Many of the tips and tricks learned in a good recovery program can follow you around wherever you meet conflict or dysfunction.  Right now, I’m practicing a version of loving detachment at work.  A co-worker is upset for some reason, and I’m a beneficiary of his anger.  He snapped at me last week for no [...]

Intimacy is important to our well-being.  I’m not just talking about sexual intimacy…although that can be an important type of intimacy.  I’m talking about the freedom to share what is in your heart and mind with another person.  Intimacy includes the vulnerability of honest conversation; the physical accessibility of two people able and willing to [...]

Today marks the launch of my new book “Looking Up: Surviving Life with an Alcoholic”.  The book chronicles about four years of my life before, during and immediately after my ex-husband’s succumbing to alcoholism.  While there is no doubt in my mind that these years marked some of the toughest of my life to date, with [...]

My mother was a genius at getting me to do things around the house.  She’d simply say “but you’re so good at cleaning the kitchen; really, no one can clean it like you can!” and sure enough, she would be right.  I was also told that I never finished projects, and that I was so [...]