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These Are My Friends
My cousin recently visited Italy. While he was there, he stayed with friends at an Airbnb. They were trying to decide where to eat one night, and their host got wind of it. He came over and told them about a great place a short walk away. He then charmingly escorted them to the restaurant, introduced them to the owners, and with arms outstretched, he boisterously exclaimed “These are my friends. Make them fat!” I love this story! Who wouldn’t want to be welcomed like this?!? I come from a long line of hospitable people. My paternal grandparents were Italian immigrants from Castel Frentano. They had 12 children and not…
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Sacred Saturdays
I attended a wedding in which the pastor encouraged the bride and groom to get their PhD Degree in the other. It struck me immediately that Bobby and I have this kind of intimacy, and that it has significantly contributed to our happiness. I think the benefits are: We are more understanding and patient with each other’s weaknesses and see and appreciate each other’s strengths. We know the buttons NOT to push which reduces our interpersonal conflict. It is fun and relaxing to have our best friend right in our own home. Being known by someone is good for our health. No, really! Sex is much more likely to happen…
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Chasing the Dodgers: Handling Conflict When You’re Different
Conflict. Ugh. Just the sound of that word makes us cringe, right? But know this. If you can learn how to manage it well, conflict will help your relationship. Yes, make it better because both unaddressed issues and bloody battles are death to your relationship. One might just take longer to make it die than the other. So, let’s figure this out. First, there are really two kinds of people when it comes to conflict: Chasers and Dodgers. Both have good points when it comes to conflict, but both have the capacity to really screw it up, too. It’s important to identify who you both are so the road can…
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Meet Grace
In my last post, I shared my first article in a three-part series about conflict. I talked about how to decide when things need to be addressed with your partner. And I told a story about flying underwear. Yes, I did. About flying underwear. Here it is if you want to read it first. This time, let’s talk about grace. My car’s name is Gracie. I love her. A LOT. This is me and Gracie. Oh, and Bobby is there making me laugh…and he’s eating. Just a regular day in the life of us. Gracie is a Chrysler Crossfire Roadster. I distinctly remember the first time I saw one. I was…
