Family

Do you have a mother-in-law or a daughter-in-law who says she is "fine" or who says nothing at all, but then starts in with obvious pouts; loud, heavy sighs; and those undermining "accidental" oversights?

No matter what she says or doesn't say, her actions are screaming the real truth: She is not happy with you. This is called passive aggressive behavior, and it's not your imagination—it's very real!

Dealing with this behavior (passive and unassuming on the surface, but nastily aggressive toward you underneath) can be incredibly difficult, draining, and frustrating.

Many historians feel that one of Winston Churchill’s greatest speeches was given at a graduation ceremony at Oxford University. He had worked on the speech for hours. When the moment finally came, Churchill stood up to the cheering crowd, and in a strong, clear voice shouted just three words, "Never give up!" He paused a few seconds and shouted the words again, "Never give up!" He then reached for his hat and slowly walked off the podium, satisfied that he had told the graduates the messages they needed to succeed.

Is your life balanced? What does that mean?

Do you often say, "There are not enough hours in a day!" or, "I just wish I had more time?" If you have answered "yes," then this may be a sign that your life is out of balance.

How do you find balance in your life?

The symptoms of being out of balance are feeling rushed, hurried and anxious as you take on the daily events. When we are out of balance, we find it difficult to enjoy life.

If you’re looking for a situation to test the strength of your marriage, I recommend an affair. An adoption might be a little too much.

Seriously, adoption brings serious stress to a marriage. Much of the anxiety comes from the unknown. Being a father to children my wife, Amy, and I created biologically, as well as to others whom we adopted, I can tell you that adoption, at least for us, was more stressful.

With the children that came from our own genes, we knew when they were coming. Once the stick turned blue, we were on a nine-month countdown.

Among the many disruptions caused by Covid-19, the delays in courtrooms around the country are chief among them. In Los Angeles county alone, there are more than 32,000 immediate hearings in the family law court system that are now backlogged. It could take a minimum of a year or possibly up to four years for those headed for a divorce courtroom trial to have their cases heard. The wait does not have to be as long as many might think though, if they take their trial to a retired judge. Divorcing couples can take advantage of what is becoming a popular trend to speed up the divorce process. And, in the long run, costs and attorney’s fees could run 50% less. With this choice, indeed, the time it would take to get to a full-blown trial heard in a public courtroom could be drastically reduced.