Tag Archives: crisis

Overcoming a Crisis in Marriage

The statistics for a divorce after a crisis in your life are overwhelming. A crisis, whether it is an internal conflict such as infidelity or something outside of your control, such as a death in the family, this is the time when your marriage may be most vulnerable. Here is some advice on how you can survive the crisis and make your marriage even stronger. Someone once told me that a crisis in life is just like a hurricane. It is large, loud, very scary and can result in injury or death. I think this is a good comparison. Hurricanes … Continue reading →

Is This Really a Crisis?

We single parents can get pretty used to operating in “crisis mode”—so used to it in fact that we might begin to assume that it is the natural state of things. Instead of getting ourselves geared up to respond to an emergency or crisis, we might actually need to settle ourselves down and learn how to discern what is truly a crisis and what is not. We might be making more out of every day occurrences than we need to. I do not fully understand how the human being can be so adaptable as to actually get used to dangerous, … Continue reading →

Emergency Funds

An emergency fund is not a true savings or investment. It is money that is set aside for the unexpected. It is there just in case something goes wrong. If you lose your job, unemployment pay only covers a portion of your paycheck and does not cover other benefits like health insurance. If you need your car to drive to work, what would happen if the engine blew up? Would you have enough to cover the cost? These are some common scenarios where an emergency fund can be a lifesaver. It will only work if it is easy to access … Continue reading →

Does Your Family Pull Together or Fall Apart During Crisis?

One of the signs of a strong family is how the family unit reacts to stress, tension and crisis as a group. When something tough happens (a move, death, etc.) does your family come together or does everyone head off in their own directions? Of course, there is no such thing as a perfect family and we all do things differently. I have a friend who feels as though she came from an incredibly strong family and as she described it: “We hollered and yelled and said horrible things to each other but then we always apologized and came together … Continue reading →

Dealing with What is Critical

What absolutely has to be taken care of today? What is crucial and critical and what can you let go of for now? For a single parent, there are days when everything seems critical, and we can get so caught up in the minutia of our everyday lives that it can be tough to see the forest for the trees. In order to get things under control and into a manageable circumstance, it can be helpful to define what is crucial and what is not. For me, I have found over the years that if I start with the basics, … Continue reading →

Crisis Frugality: 3 Things to Do to Make It to the Next Paycheck

With frugal living allows families to save money and live a better life, but what do you do if you are in a situation where you are wondering how you are going to make it until your next paycheck? Sometimes life throws unexpected curves at you such as a job layoff, a medical expense, or even an unexpected home repair. If you find yourself in a crisis, it is important cut as many expenses as you can as soon as you can, so you’ll have enough for the basics of food, clothing and shelter. This is especially true when you … Continue reading →

Coping With “Crisis People”

I am growing weary of a few trendy sayings in the business world—“interface” is one of them, but one of the others is she just has “too much on her plate.” To my way of thinking, is one thing to be busy, quite another to be someone who operates “in crisis.” Busy people can actually be quite delightful to work with as many of them are very organized and efficient. But there is a big difference between being busy and being someone who is flying out of control in crisis. So what can you do when you have to work … Continue reading →

The Marriage Blog Week in Review for Dec 30 – Jan 5

Woo hoo, it’s Saturday and this week, we enjoyed watching our daughter go back to school and yesterday, she received a Good Effort Award for her progress in school. She’s mastering reading and so much more. Every day is a new adventure for us as parents and as a married couple, but we will talk more about that later. In the meanwhile, Sherry and I welcomed the arrival of the New Year here at the Marriage Blog with a series of articles covering everything from the marriage debates to the wedding planning. So without further ado, let’s talk about our … Continue reading →

What You Have to Offer a Support Group

Although you may not think you need a support group, have you considered how a support group might need you? One of the main reasons I think people don’t attend an adoption support group is they don’t feel it will be of any benefit to them. In my years of leading and co-leading support groups I’ve noticed three primary groups of attendees: those in waiting, those in crisis, and those who want to be of support. Those in waiting: These are often people who’ve attended group to learn more about the process of adoption after their home studies have been … Continue reading →

The Peace that Suprasses Understanding in a Post 9/11 World. . .

Yesterday, at approximately 3:00pm, a small aircraft crashed into a building on 72nd and York, on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. Sadly, two people lost their lives: Yankee’s pitcher Corey Lidle and his flight instructor. As is our custom on Wednesday afternoons, we were downtown on the Upper East Side where my three older children take special classes. We were down stairs waiting for one of my kids to finish her class and waiting for the next to begin. We were playing regular old games; Simon Says, I Spy. . .and the flurry of activity began. Cell phones ringing, … Continue reading →