Tag Archives: emotions

The Last Visitation

Today is the day that we have been waiting for. Today is Rebecca’s last visitation with her biological mother. This day has me a little emotional. I was worried about how hard it would be for the biological mother to say good-bye forever to her daughter. I don’t know if she will show any emotions as so far she has never cried, smiled or showed any sign of emotion when either being handed her daughter or when she handed her back to the case workers. I tried to put myself in the biological mother’s shoes and I cannot even begin … Continue reading →

Acknowledging Your Teen’s Pain

Don’t we all like our feelings to be acknowledged? What if you were going through something painful, either emotionally or physically, would it help to hear someone acknowledge your pain? I imagine this is what people with conditions like fibromyalgia experience. Their pain may not be seen as “real” by others but for those who are suffering, it is more than real. Well this is what my 12-year-old son has been going through for several months. On and off he has been experiencing stomach pains that can last a day or several. He has missed a good deal of school … Continue reading →

Fitness for Your Emotions

It might be the last thing you think about when you are feeling down but did you know that exercise can put you in a better mood? Think about what you typically do when you are feeling down. Many of us probably turn to food, sit in front of the television or do some other mindless activity. We do these things because they seem to have a numbing affect on us. What happens after you have eaten that whole bag of chips or wasted hours in front of the television? Do you feel any better? No. In fact, you usually … Continue reading →

Emotional Fitness

I discovered something new and very fulfilling to do while I am walking on my treadmill. I pray. Even if prayer isn’t your thing, you might find meditation or just thinking to be great ways to spend time walking on your treadmill. Here’s why I like to pray while walking on my treadmill. I find that when I am walking my mind is less cluttered. I’m not keeping busy with a million activities. I’m just walking and so that requires my mind to settle somewhere. When I walk and pray, I think of all kinds of situations that are weighing … Continue reading →

Animals Have Emotions, Too

Some people like to think animals are just animals. They think animals don’t think or feel or have emotions. Oh really? If animals didn’t have emotions, would they take orphaned animals in and nurture them as their own? Even when they’re different species sometimes. Would they cower from thunderstorms or snakes if they didn’t feel fear? Would they mourn the loss of their babies or even their people when they die? Would they show signs of depression? Would they smile when they’re happy? How could they do any of those things if they didn’t have emotions? I get viral emails … Continue reading →

Dealing with the Emotions of Going BACK to Court

Unfortunately, spending time in court can be part of the experience of many single parents. Some of us get off easily with simple divorce proceedings while others of us may have on-going custody battles or have to work things out in front of a judge because they cannot be worked out in any other way. When we think we have finished with the court appearances and court battles, however, and we suddenly find ourselves BACK in front of a judge, it can be disheartening, stressful and emotional. Years may have passed since you were in a courtroom and suddenly you … Continue reading →

Go Ahead and Cry (When the Customers aren’t Looking)

We cannot always be chipper, eager and happy home business owners. In fact, I do not think it is possible to start a business and never get frustrated or discouraged. We try so hard to give good customer service and say and do the right things that we can put incredible pressure on ourselves to be happy all the time. Baloney! Sometimes we just need to have a good cry—we just need to try to do it when the clients and customers are not standing by. A couple years ago, when I was still working in nonprofit management, I remember … Continue reading →

When a Child Fakes an Illness or Injury

Many a child has learned how to milk a “boo boo” for a little extra TLC—from the time our children are babies, we parents make a bit of a fuss over them when they get ill or injured and they quickly learn that a physical ailment is a surefire way to get some extra attention. For many parents, we inevitably have to deal with a child faking an illness or injury and depending on how big of a trigger it is for us, we have to figure out how to respond… When my daughter was in the first grade, I … Continue reading →

Do Not Let Yourself get Sucked In

We have more control over our lives and those we let in it then we may think. For many of us, is a matter of realizing that whether it is our parents, our children, coworkers, an ex, or other relationships in our lives—we have the power to say “no.” We do have the power to decide whether we are going to let ourselves get sucked into stress and drama or not. Maybe we don’t get to choose our coworkers, family members or even who we fall in love. I suppose I can indulge an argument that people come into our … Continue reading →

Feelings do Pass

When we are in the midst of strong emotions and feelings, it can seem as though things will never change. Overwhelming feelings like depression, frustration, regret and others can really take hold of us. It is important, therefore, to remind ourselves that everything changes—all feelings do pass and even if it feels completely overwhelming today, it will likely change tomorrow or the next day… Single parents do not have the market cornered on strong, overwhelming feelings but I have yet to meet a single parent who does not wrestle with occasional bouts of pretty heavy emotions. For some odd reason, … Continue reading →