Family reunions
03Jul 2011
I thought I would write a piece that would attempt to help those thousands of wives and mothers who don’t understand why their husbands and sons (and sons-in-law) spend perfectly good money to blow up things and possibly set some part of the neighborhood on fire. And I use the terms “wives/mothers” and “husbands/sons” purposefully, because this does appear to
15May 2011
Life is daily. And sometimes it is hard to see if the choices you are making on a daily basis are leading to the results you desire in your life. During the late spring and early summer, we have some opportunities to stop and reconsider: “Am I living life the way I want to?” “Do my daily and weekly activities
05Dec 2010
Yes, I know it is winter and Christmas is approaching quickly. No, this isn’t about keeping warm by visualizing warmer weather. Now is the time to start thinking about a family “get together” next summer. If you want to have family events, a holiday weekend, or even a common family vacation, you need to start planning now. Many of us
28Nov 2010
A common issue for most of the families with whom I work is the desire to pass their core values on to the next generations (children and grandchildren). Utilizing family traditions, especially during the holidays, can be extremely impactful in this process. Let me share from our family’s experience — how family traditions can intertwine with reinforcing important family values.
22Jan 2010
In the past several weeks, I have had the opportunity to interact with a few large extended families — both at a personal and professional level. And I have been impressed with some common characteristics I observed across these families, whom I view to be relatively healthy and functional. Given the bashing that extended families take in TV shows and
17Dec 2009
A “new tradition” is sort of an oxymoron. By definition, (“a long-established, inherited way of thinking or acting”), a tradition is some action that you have been doing for a while. But I believe it is both possible and helpful to intentionally create new traditions for your family. We need to recognize that families go through a variety of life
29May 2009
This past week we had the privilege of attending a family union with my wife’s family in Chicago. There were almost 40 of us, ranging in age from 3 to 74, including my wife’s parents, six of the seven adult siblings (and spouses), and 23 of the 25 grandchildren (and two spouses). Although it was a cool and sometimes rainy