Relationships & Family

Precious Time for Talking

jbloustein — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 09:14:08 -0500

Long-distance relationships are rarely easy, testing even the most resilient couples. And when one or both partners is in the military and has been deployed abroad, the separation can leave each one feeling like a stranger.

Experts say some of the biggest challenges facing military couples come when they finally reunite. Each partner has gotten used to living without the other and may not know how to open up. Meanwhile, it can be difficult for one spouse to adjust if the other has gone through a personal change.

Boomer Sooner

admin — Wed, 01 Nov 2006 07:22:00 -0600

How do I know it's fall?

Every Saturday my husband, Michael, plants himself in front of the TV with snacks and sodas to watch his beloved OU Sooners play football.

After our daughter, Micah, was born nearly three years ago he had to keep his cheering to a minimum so as not to disturb her naps. This only caused him to concentrate more intently on the action.

Home Team

jbloustein — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 09:57:49 -0500

You need to know your priorities in life.

As head coach of the San Francisco 49ers, that’s probably the most important message I deliver to my players, especially the younger ones. Focus on what’s truly meaningful, I urge them.

I’m a guy who wears his emotions on his sleeve, so when I say these things, my players know I speak from the heart. What they don’t know is that I learned that lesson the hard way.

I Do, I Do

batch — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 20:19:50 -0500

John
Like that it was over—eight years of marriage to Jackie ended with a perfunctory thud of the judge's gavel and a finality that was unexpectedly hard to grasp. My lawyer squeezed my shoulder and Dad patted me on the back. I stole a glance across the aisle at my wife, my ex-wife. Jackie dabbed her tears with a handkerchief while her sister half consoled, half congratulated her. Where had it all gone wrong?

Playwright Finds Hope and Healing After Abuse

batch — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 04:05:05 -0500

A victim of domestic violence is hoping to bring her message of faith and hope to audiences, after writing a play about her experience.

Carolyn Louise Herring Moore told American Forces Press Service that her play, Women Shoptalk While Real Men Wait, tells the story of her 10-year relationship with an abusive and controlling man.

Just Listen

admin — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 14:07:11 -0500

Balancing a bag of groceries in one arm, I pushed the kitchen door open. Meredith, my 11-year-old, followed me, talking a mile a minute. "Mom," she said as I set everything down, "you're not listening."

"I am listening," I said, putting my brain on mental rewind. "You were telling me about your math test tomorrow, and before that you were saying you didn't like P.E."

Remade

admin — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 12:30:30 -0500

The heart monitor beeped steadily. I pulled the thin hospital sheet up to my chin. My hands were freezing.

An old saying popped into my mind—cold hands, warm heart. My heart felt like ice. No machine could measure the emotions I felt inside. I stroked the spot on my left ring finger where my 20th-anniversary band used to be. Six months earlier, that ring had held so much promise.

Swing Shift

mcherkezian — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 14:24:05 -0600

Talk radio blared in my ear. I reached over and hit the snooze button for the third time that morning. Or maybe the fourth.

My husband was working the graveyard shift—midnight to eight—and I didn’t expect him back for another hour. I hadn’t slept well and was desperate for more rest. If only I could adjust to Joe’s new schedule!

Joe works on the Illinois River. He used to be a crane mechanic, a stressful and physically demanding job with a lot of travel and overtime.

Taste for Two

admin — Wed, 01 Mar 2006 07:49:00 -0600

Something's different about this meatloaf," Mark, my husband, said to me. I tried to look innocent. "What do you mean?"

He squeezed out a dollop of ketchup and took another bite. The look on his face said it all. Mark would never openly criticize my cooking, but after forcing down a few more forkfuls he rose from the table, taking his barely touched plate to the sink. "Thanks for dinner, Honey. But I'm not that hungry." Oh, well. Another failed food experiment. I thought he might actually like tofu meat loaf.

Six Days

admin — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 17:23:27 -0600

Can't live with him, can't live without him. That was the story of my life with Jim. Twenty-three years we'd been together—23 years of adventure and aggravation, big blowups and equally passionate making up. We got divorced only to fall in love with each other again and remarry. I'd thought it would be different this second time around, that I could count on Jim to be my partner with our three kids, the house, the finances, our faith. But he let me take care of everything, like always. Happy-go-lucky Jim. Well, I didn't feel so happy or lucky.