We were in Costco, browsing, which is my husband’s idea of a nightmare. He likes to race through the store with a map in mind, barely stopping as he grabs detergent to toss it in the cart. I often feel like I’m jogging to keep...
In Walter Mischel’s famous 1960s marshmallow experiment, hungry 4-year-old children were brought into rooms and seated in small chairs at a table. A single, perfect marshmallow was put on a plate in front of them. The researchers told the children if they could wait 10 minutes without eating the tempting...
Every week, moments after my blog goes out Thursday morning, my inbox fills with auto-replies from people who are out of the office. I’m anticipating that on this day, when most of us have a day off to be with family and loved ones, I...
I’m slowly teaching my husband the skill of reflective listening. The essence of this skill is to take a guess about what someone means and offer it in the form of a statement. It’s a way to demonstrate accurate empathy, stepping outside your own perspective...
A few weeks ago, it was school picture day. After unloading the dishwasher that morning, I went back to the bedroom to see how Emma was coming along with getting dressed. There was just enough time left to help her pick an outfit and do...
This weekend, the girls saw Venus flytraps for sale at Trader Joe’s.Soon, one of the tiny plants was in our cart, and then on our kitchen counter at home. The problem was, this carnivorous plant housed in captivity would need its food delivered rather than...
We wear a variety of masks – personas adjusted for the different roles and labels we bring to particular settings. These masks are not so different from the ones my girls will put on tonight to walk through our neighborhood, filling their pumpkins to the...
Today is my 10-year wedding year anniversary. My husband and I met in a psych hospital. That always makes for a good way to begin the story when people ask how we met. We were both on our intern year – he in family medicine, me in clinical psychology –...
Last weekend, I treated myself to a facial at a local spa. I was led into a dimly lit room that smelled faintly of vanilla and eucalyptus. The aesthetician motioned for me to sit down. She sat across from me, a small table between us, and asked, “What is...
On the drive to school, the girls and I listen to a kids’ talk radio show. The format is for the host to announce a topic of the day, and then children across the country call in to share stories and offer their opinions. The topic today was good...