The Smile in front of the Pain

One of my favorite lines from the movie Elf is when Buddy says “I just like to smile. Smiling is my favorite.” I like to smile, too, and these days, it’s truly coming from an authentic place. But when I was younger, it was sometimes to hide pain that was too shameful to talk about. This …

The problem with me and my abusive marriage

Marriage is a long-term commitment and a life time of promise and hope of being together.  The contract and the commitment anchor us to get through the storms of life. In a healthy marriage, that's a beautiful and good thing as it shores us up and provides stability and cohesion for generations. But in an …