Love + Friendships

I attended my first AA meeting a few weeks back. I am in graduate school to become a counselor, and one of my class assignments required me to sit in on three different 12-step meetings. The experience had way...

During pregnancy, everything shouted “Postpartum Depression.” If I picked up a flier or attended a group for new mothers, Postpartum Depression was discussed. It was important to my partner and I that we work together to minimize the risk...

By nature I am a very non-confrontational person. I do not like to argue, fight, or disagree. I am also a people-pleaser, which is both a gift and a curse. With a husband who shares many of these qualities,...

A few weeks ago, I sent a text message to a friend with a few questions about an upcoming gathering. A couple of days later she replied with her answers and started her response by apologizing for “ghosting” me....

I’m going to let you in on a secret. Okay, it’s not really a secret. However, it is quickly becoming one of the most beloved holidays of the year. Oh and it’s all for the ladies. It’s Galentine’s Day...

My job brought us to Portland in 2016. Our initial plan was for my husband to find a job and us put our four-month-old in daycare. However, after looking at our finances and realizing the majority of my husband’s...

I have been married to my husband for eight years and we have four wonderful children. When people ask me if having four kids is hard, I shrug and say, “Nowhere near as hard as it was being a...

The third row down on my bookshelf is full of a collection of old journals in many different shapes and sizes. I’ve been writing down my thoughts for years. I fondly remember the summer of '96 writing teenage poetry...

It’s said marriage is like holding a mirror up to your life. Relationship with a spouse has a way of revealing things we may not see otherwise. And if marriage is a mirror, then parenting is a magnifying glass....

I can promise that I will love him everyday, though that love might not look like hugs and kisses and thoughtful gifts. I can promise to respect him and his hopes and dreams, even if they don’t perfectly align...