Trees preparing to let go

Before Letting Go, Do This

This afternoon, I took a drive. It was a gorgeous day featuring unseasonably warm temperatures, so I opened the sun roof, cranked up some Ani DiFranco tunes and hit the back roads. As I drove, a few leaves floated into my car, and I thought about the beauty of autumn and the lessons the trees teach us about letting go. And I realized, for as long as I’ve appreciated nature’s release of that-which-no-longer serves, there’s an element of the process that I overlooked. A rather important element: Before the trees release their leaves, they stop feeding them. It’s a simple fact that’s […]

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The Brangelina Divorce Broke My Heart

I was never a huge fan of Brangelina, though there were elements about the couple that I found charming. I liked the fact that they’d adopted children. I thought it was cool that Shiloh was born in Africa and later they were so accepting of her desire to be called “John.” I found their wedding story to be incredibly sweet. They’d been together a long time (especially in Hollywood Years) and they’d weathered plenty of tabloid storms. Still, I never quite fell under their spell. I knew they weren’t especially special nor magical. Brad and Angelina were simply two human beings sharing their lives. […]

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Time for love

I Thought It Was Love…

I thought it was love. In the moment, I was sure of it. Time stood still as I fantasized about the two of us on the couch, on the beach and in the bathtub. It was a glorious vision that filled me with warmth and contentment. Gently, I reached out to caress the shiny cover of the book that beckoned to me. It seemed to be gleaming with sparkles of divinity. I held it and flipped through the pages, captivated by the words that kissed my gaze. I must have this, I thought. I pulled it closer and began to pivot toward […]

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ex love

Ex Loves …Why Don’t We Speak of Them?

Do you ever mention your ex loves? I’m asking because a few days ago, I witnessed the following exchange: Husband (to a group of people):  Someone once threw me a surprise party… Wife (with genuine curiosity):  Who was it that threw the party? Husband (hesitates): it… well, that was a long time ago. I assumed the party-thrower was an ex. In the moment, the group laughed and made jokes about the event happening in another era. The conversation moved forward without another glitch. Later, I gave the scenario more thought. I wondered why the husband was so hesitant to speak the name of […]

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Interview with Christina Vinters, J.D., Family Law Mediator

Earlier in the summer, I was delighted to learn about a new book about divorce. The book was called Pathways to Amicable Divorce, and it was written by Family Law Mediator, Christina Vinters. At the time, the book was being offered for free as part of a launch promotion, so I quickly clicked and added it to my digital library. As you probably know, I’m highly passionate about productive, mindful, respectful (amicable) divorce processes. I’ve read a lot of books about divorce, and they can be a bit clinical (really boring), especially the how-to guides. But Pathways to Amicable Divorce was […]

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