Looking back at my younger self, I remember thinking how romantic it would be to give of myself and sacrifice my wants and desires for the good of my man (whoever he might be); but, then I grew up, married the man, and found that sacrifice is anything but romantic. To put it bluntly: sacrifice hurts. Sacrifice pulls at the core of our human condition. Constant sacrifice can breed resentment. Sacrifice is no feel-good movie. The question is: Is it worth it? Are the sacrifices you will make – including the ones you cannot predict – worth it to you? This may sound like a question with only one … [Read more...]

Yesterday was a “wasted” day. You know the kind of day that I mean? You wake up with ideas about all that you will accomplish; but, by bedtime, you have done none of them (but eat and maybe shower). The night before, I had goals. I planned to write, work on another project, and shop for someone’s birthday. But, alas, by midnight I had completed about 7% of my goals for the day. So, I went to bed feeling unaccomplished, and surprisingly, unrested. One would think a day spent doing nothing productive would, by definition, be restful; but, it was the opposite. I spent emotional energy beating … [Read more...]

A few years back, I laughed until I cried while listening to a comedian talk about the difference between couples without children leaving the house and couples with children leaving the house. Here's how it went... Couples without children: “Let’s leave the house. Ok!” (Couple walks briskly out the door.) Couples with children: “Let’s leave the house.” (20 minutes of chaos ensues… herding children, packing bags, yelling, crying, and parents losing their minds.) Of course, couples with children must be a lot more intentional about going anywhere – even in running errands. When I meet … [Read more...]