We live in such a goal-setting society. From an early age, we’re pressured to know exactly what we want and where we’re going next. In my younger days, I felt guilty whenever I wasn’t where I thought I should be, or on a clear path toward what I believed was

There are those moments when something suddenly clicks—a jolt that gives us an answer we have been searching for. Sometimes the answer is exactly what we hoped for. Other times, it is something we weren’t prepared to see. Either way, these moments can teach us something important about ourselves and

My newest book, to be released in early fall, has the subtitle, Reclaiming Identity When Life Changes Everything. As I have lived with those words, I have found myself thinking more about what it really means to “reclaim” ourselves. Can we really reclaim the person we once were? And should

Life can be moving along at a steady pace when, suddenly, something is said that changes everything. The conversation may begin with words you’ve read in a book, a circumstance you never expected, an observation, a dream that lingers after you awaken, or something someone happens to say. Wherever it

I have always felt grateful for the many friends I have had throughout my life. And I strongly believe that to have good friends, we must also be good friends. I find it interesting how certain friendships stay with us throughout life while others come and go. That is not

There are moments in life that divide time into before and after. A diagnosis. A loss. A role that has ended. A door that quietly closes. We often believe the hardest part is surviving the event itself. Yet many discover that the real challenge begins afterward—when the noise fades, the

Life has a way of asking difficult questions when a familiar role comes to an end. For years, I have written and spoken about transitions. As the author of I’ll Miss You Too, I explored the emotional journey parents face when children leave for college. Each summer, families prepare for

Too many times, we find ourselves thinking about what we did yesterday or worrying about what we have to do tomorrow or next week. I know I find myself falling into that trap more often than I would like. One of the greatest gifts Ernie taught me during the years

For those who are more often “givers” than “takers,” setting healthy boundaries is not easy I am sure that many reading this week’s post have experienced times when it was difficult to say “no.” For those who are more often “givers” than “takers,” setting healthy boundaries is not easy, and

Life changed for me when I became a caregiver to my husband after he was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. For the two of us, our world suddenly became much smaller. I would not be honest if I said that, in the beginning, this was anything but devastating. The future we had

As I look back on my Alzheimer’s caregiver journey through challenging times, I remember how lost I felt without any roadmap or GPS to guide my way. I often describe it as feeling like a “deer in headlights.” When my husband of many years received the unexpected and frightening diagnosis of

Those challenges that hit us at unexpected times can feel like a brick. For me, my heart starts to race, and my thoughts scatter. I can’t think straight. Questions swirl all at once: What do I do? How should I respond? What just happened? Did I do something wrong? And sometimes, if