Q: My former husband has a bad habit of shooting himself in the foot just when things are starting to look good. When he and I were married, we would have what looked like an exceptional crop year but then he would charge off into some kind of a dumb decision and what was supposed […] Read more
Author Archives
Success will come when we learn to check our emotions
Heavy marijuana use can interfere with everyday life
Q: When my son and his wife first started dating, they would on occasion smoke some marijuana. They did so mostly when they were with their friends. There was nothing of note to otherwise worry about. Since then, my son’s wife has mostly stopped using marijuana, but not my son. I am sure that he […] Read more
Give kids space on career choice
Q: Years ago, my grandfather was among the last of a dying breed of small town country doctors. He was great. My father is also a physician, although he works in a larger clinic in the city. My mother at one time was the head nurse in a surgical suite and both of my older […] Read more
Support programs crucial when dealing with addiction
Q: I am just sick about all of this. My husband and I withdrew some funds from our savings to send my stepson to an expensive rehabilitation program to help him come to terms with his addictions to drugs and alcohol. All the reports from the program were positive. My stepson was doing very well […] Read more
When defiance is not enough to beat old age
Q: My dad is one of those stubborn people who has decided to let his defiance guide him through old age. He objects to just about everything. He hardly ever goes to see his family doctor and when he does he for sure does not follow the doctor’s recommendations. He scoffs at his best friend […] Read more
Teaching kids good work habits best done by example
Q: It was bad enough three years ago when my husband died in a motor vehicle accident. I was left a young mom with three small children and a farm that was heavily in debt and managed through a very complicated accounting system that I never did understand. With help from my father-in-law and our […] Read more
Teasing often has a message
Q: My husband was a lot of fun when he and I were younger and just starting to get to know each other. He was always thinking of something zany and spent hours teasing both me and my younger sister. That was a long time ago now. He is still teasing me. But it is […] Read more
Working with school best way to deal with bullying
Q: I was caught off guard the other day when my 11-year-old son told me that he would prefer to be home-schooled. I am a single parent mom, and although I have only one child, caring for him while holding down a full-time job and keeping up with my commitments to the community is almost […] Read more
Let ailing grandfather decide how to approach failing health
Q: My husband’s grandfather is and always has been a special person in my husband’s life. When my husband was very young, his natural father was killed in a highway accident. Fortunately for my husband, Grandpa was there to give him that decisive voice in his life when he was searching for guidance. That continues. […] Read more
There are options other than pills available to treat sleep disorders
Q:I have not had a full night sleep for years. I do not know what to do to try to fix things. I know that I get anxious easily and I always thought that I could fix things sleep-wise if I could simply calm down a bit, but it has never worked. What might you […] Read more
