byJody Lee Cates
Friendship
Making and keeping friends in life’s second half might feel different from when we were kids. But in some ways, it’s still very much the same. I spent the day yesterday with two women who have been friends since birth. Their parents brought them home from the hospital as babies to a neighborhood where they…
An accomplished and talented young woman I know recently shared with me that she was taking a break from social media. She described how every time she picked up her phone her fingers reflexively opened an app that sucked her into a world of comparison. It seemed like everyone she followed was not only chasing…
Have you ever wished for a relationship “how-to” manual? Over the years, I’ve collected dozens of books about marriage, divorce, parenting, friendship, and family. Always looking for ways to strengthen bonds, communicate clearly, and handle conflict. I’m a willing but impatient student, so I usually scan the pages looking for quick and practical advice. Hoping to…
I learned the power of simple hospitality the summer I met Shirley Caldwell in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. After just one year of marriage, my husband and I left behind all that was familiar to me when we packed up our car and drove more than 3,000 miles from Portland, Oregon to start our new life…
Before we take aim at authenticity, let’s talk first about finding the right target. What is our purpose when we begin aiming for authenticity? The aim of authenticity should be to build bridges. Not to burn them down. Authenticity is about taking a risk. Revealing something true about ourselves so that we might encourage one…
I love encouraging others. I like to think I was born this way. But the truth is I haven’t always been very skilled at the delicate art of offering encouragement. When I was about six years old, I stood on the ground below a tree where my younger sister Barb sat on a low-hanging branch….