Q: Our grandmother turns 90 this year. She has some memory loss, always forgetting where she put her glasses or who is to take her to which appointments, which makes us think she might be in the early stages Alzheimer’s disease. Apart from that, she Is healthy and a pleasure to be with. We want […] Read more
Tag Archives Speaking of Life column
Relapses can be overcome
Q: I am six weeks sober but afraid I am going to relapse. What can I do? A: Six weeks sober is a great start, but it does not stop yet. You are always vulnerable to relapse. Let’s face it, relapse in the face of addiction, be that to alcohol, drugs, nicotine, gambling or sex, […] Read more
Climate, schlimate; it’s a beautiful world
Q: My husband and I walk every morning, usually before breakfast. It is a spectacular time of the day for a walk, especially during months. What with so much early morning fog this year settling into sparkles of frost on just about everything, trees, abandoned fence posts, even the hills in the distance, this year […] Read more
Admiration is the best antidote for envy
Q: My youngest son’s teachers and coaches are forever comparing him to his older brother, an exceptional child who excels at everything he does. I worry that my younger son will grow resentful because he cannot keep up with his older brother, or that my oldest son will quit trying so hard because he does […] Read more
Addicts who stop smoking can help their alcohol recovery
Q: Our son-in-law has quit drinking but still smokes. Am I right to think he should stop smoking, too? A: How or where your son-in-law goes about his recovery is his decision and his alone. You can support and love and care for him, but what he does is what he chooses to do. Recognizing […] Read more
Anxiety often caused by not feeling enough satisfaction
Q: I have built a successful farm, but I can’t relax. My wife thinks I’m going to drive myself to an early grave. I get all wired up when it is too hot for few days and equally distraught when we get what I think is too much rain. My physician thinks that I am […] Read more
Parents must let their son choose his own career path
Q: Our 19-year-old son is a good kid but has no idea what he should or could do with himself. We would love for him to get a job and start building toward a career, but nothing seems to work. What can we do to get him going? A: Your son has two problems. One […] Read more
Caring communities would help make gun laws irrelevant
Q: Do we need stronger rules on guns? A: I have no intention of telling you whether I support stronger gun legislation. That is something for you to decide for yourself. It is not going to be easy. Both sides of the argument, including both those who support stronger gun controls and those who are […] Read more
Increasing kids’ self-esteem starts with good role models
Q: My husband and I separated amicably a year and a half ago. It’s the best decision for us, but we worry about our four- and six-year-old boys. How do we instill in our boys the self-esteem that neither of us had? A: It is possible to raise children with self-esteem despite some deficits in […] Read more
Alternatives to corporal punishment require patience
I am not a fan of corporal punishment for children who happen to break the occasional rule. There are alternatives. To start exploring the options let’s look at ourselves as parents. It seems to me that each of us has two corners of our brain that dictates our strategies for unruly children. One corner is […] Read more
