Q: I used to think that my husband was a bit of a tightwad when it came to paying our hired hands what they deserved for helping with harvest, seeding or whatever, but I realize now that my husband’s problem goes far beyond his miserly hourly rates. The bottom line is that my husband does […] Read more
Author Archives
Successfully asking for help makes life more satisfying
Regular walking routine can help people prevent falls
Q: I hope that I can get you to help me with a little project. I am trying to get a walking club going. Every morning, a number of our locals meet at coffee row in the one remaining coffee shop on the corner of Main and First. We do the usual there — bash […] Read more
Come up with new ways to celebrate Christmas this year
Q: This is such a strange year, what with the pandemic. I am wondering how people are going to take time to honestly celebrate Christmas. Charlie and I will not have a problem. Our children have long since grown and left home, as have many of their children. Apart from the occasional family photo we […] Read more
Guilt is a natural personal condition that is often helpful
Q: I am feeling bad. The other night our 13-year-old daughter broke curfew. She wouldn’t admit to it, but I am fairly certain that she was at a house party with some older kids and that all of them were fooling around with alcohol and marijuana. You know, with all of the COVID stuff going […] Read more
Slowing down means regaining control of one’s life
Q: Sometimes I think that there must be a conspiracy between my physician and my wife. Both of them tell me that I have to slow down. I can see the point. I am 67 years old, a touch overweight and even though I don’t smoke now I faithfully committed myself to nicotinic addictions for […] Read more
Marijuana must be treated with caution
Q: My husband and I are not sure what we can do to help our daughter. She seems to be smoking a lot of marijuana these days. When I asked her about it, she said that she used marijuana to help settle down. That might well be true. Our daughter has always been a bundle […] Read more
It is never too late to rekindle marriage flame
Q:When my husband first told me that he wanted to get a divorce, I was very upset. As we talked, and as I began to be more honest with myself, I could see his point. We have lost it, there is no question about that. I am no longer that special little light that shines […] Read more
Cutting is symptom of a deeper psychological problem
Q: I have so many feelings going on inside me that I hardly know where to begin. I am angry, sad, depressed, disappointed, embarrassed, and most of all, incredibly lonely. We found out just days ago that our 14-year-old daughter has been cutting herself. She has a piece of glass (looks somewhat like the bottom […] Read more
Boss’s deadline obsession requires a frank conversation
Q: The assistant branch manager in the little bank where I work attended a workshop for all branch managers teaching them the art of employee motivation. Our guy fell into an obsession with deadlines. Apparently setting deadlines is one of the strategies managers can deploy when they want their staff to spruce up productivity. But […] Read more
Positive psychology first step in adolescent depression
Q: We are concerned about our 15-year-old son these days. He is in Grade 10, or so we think, but with all of the accommodations being made by the schools to the coronavirus these days, we are not sure what grade he is in. Maybe that is the problem. We are not certain. Whatever it […] Read more
