On the heels of last week’s invitation to press the “pause” button to reflect upon how your first half of 2019 went, let’s prepare for your summer vacation in a different way.
In 2018, I urged you to consider how much of your precious holidays you choose to devote to care-giving responsibilities out of obligation or long-standing unconscious family patterns. I still do. What we’re going to add today is a focus on three important sectors – your pleasure, self-care and personal growth.Read More
Before another second goes by, let’s address how you are going to deliberately craft your summer with (or without) aging family members. We need to ‘talk’ before your plans are set in concrete.Read More
Canadians recently enjoyed our first long-holiday of the ‘summer’ called Victoria Day. Americans are currently celebrating Memorial Day. My next blog will focus on deliberately crafting this season with (or without seeing) aging family members. For now, any of you who are already entertaining parents or visiting them, please bear in mind these peace-creating strategies.Read More
For many, Mother’s Day weekend in North America can be a very mixed occasion. After all, how does a son or daughter cope with their negative reality while surrounded by societal strictures in the form of bombarding restaurant ads, mushy greeting cards and lavish florists?Read More
Anyone who has done a measure of personal growth work knows it is a process and NOT an immediate outcome to arrive at healing sentiments toward a parent with whom you have a checkered history. Such is the case with my mother. Let’s resume where we left off last time following her passing while encapsulating what I have learned along the way.Read More
Incredibly, we have just passed the ninth anniversary of my mother’s passing at age 89 on April 17th. In this Part 1 of an authentic journey that resulted in peaceful resolution of a complex and layered relationship, we trace benchmark moments that bring us forward into 2019.Read More
A few weeks ago, my weekly radio show, “The Conscious Caregiver”, focused upon how we can come to the so-called end of life without carrying regret into those other worlds. At this season of rebirth and renewal, it feels fitting to dive further into the topic.Read More
I quote. Yes, this was precisely the proud declaration uttered by an outwardly-pleasant aging mother whose crevice-ridden face told the truth of a nasty and miserable inner nature. Even I was stunned by the non-apology.Read More
Do you burn tons of energy “psyching up” to deal with your impossible aging parents but still feel like pulling out your hair? Do you regularly clamp down on what you really want to say to the difficult duo? Are you physically and emotionally exhausted by them?Read More
The Thanksgiving hoopla is hours away. So, what to do when you really just want to turkey-drop your relatives? Are you tired of playing cop or walking on eggshells? Then, let’s find out how to contend with three common caregiver triggers.Read More
