Author: bobl

My name is Marshall and I am twelve years old.  I live in San Francisco’s Mission District with my mom and my cat.  My parents got divorced about three years ago.  I don’t think adults know how much divorce hurts kids. They think we should just accept these big changes in our lives and go...

Many of us have had experiences that victimize us. You could have been a victim of rape, physical assault, racial discrimination, sexism, homophobia, ageism, disability discrimination, religious discrimination and other forms of hatred.  Someone very close to you could have died suddenly.  You could be going through a horrid divorce.   Our immediate coping mechanisms...

Stuck grief is experienced by many of us after we have experienced a loss.  This loss could be the death of a loved one, the breakup with a partner, being fired from a job or other trauma. The symptoms of stuck grief are:  Feeling like you are not making any progress in your mourning process...

My father was buried forty-eight years ago today.  That New Jersey day was without greenery or any warmth at all.  It was a cold day as we drove to the cemetery in stark South Brunswick. It was about thirty-five degrees outside; about forty five degrees warmer than the temperature inside me.  I was numb as...

Dear Gail,   We have been married over forty-two years and the time has flown by.  We are heading towards Medicare age and we are still going strong.  I think one of the reasons our marriage has lasted so long is because we have so many things in common.  We both love to play and...

The evidence is in. Physical exercise is a medication free activity that you can do on your own.  The media continues to tout its powers.  A recent Newsweek article discusses how exercise can make you smarter.  A current Yahoo.com article claims that exercise can grow new brain cells that alleviate depression.  There is ample research...

Many of us reach a point when our lives become routine, dull, and thankless. We lose our sense of meaning and direction. There seems to be a lack of purpose and feelings of hopelessness permeate our very being. We do reach a time when we are tired of being emotionally constipated and seek out ways...

I never really thought I would say this out loud, but I often think it and now the words can no longer be held back.  Life in American has really reached a tipping point where many of us live constricted, unfulfilled lives.(IMO)  When I compare my childhood to what the modern day kid experiences, I...

There are dads and moms who hover over children in dysfunctional ways. Today I will be focusing on helicopter moms.   The characteristics of a helicopter mom are: choosing  activities and friends for their children; making  schedules for their kids without child input;  not  allowing their children to do anything on their own; not allowing...

Frank, age fifty decides to have an honest conversation with his eighteen year old daughter Eileen. He has had minimal contact with her for about five years, but really wants to have a relationship with her He feels that now she is an adult, he can share a barebones, raw account about his long time...