There is something about the start of a new school year that makes life feel like it suddenly shifts into high gear. This morning was my annual reminder. Despite the fact we've spent three months preparing, the day came and we weren't ready. New schedule, new routine, yet back into the same old grind. Before long, it can feel like the entire family is simply running from one obligation to the next. Wake up. Get everyone ready. Go to work. Pick up the kids. Drive to activities. Make...

Most relationships do not fall apart because of one dramatic event. They erode gradually. A few distracted conversations become the norm. Partners stop sharing parts of themselves. Other people’s relationships begin to look more exciting. Quiet evenings together start to feel uncomfortable or boring. Eventually, two people who still love each other can begin to feel like roommates, co-parents, or strangers. Relationships have always required work, but modern couples are navigating...

My son really, really, really, hates doing the dishes. To him, it’s the worst possible chore. An interruption. Something standing between him and what he’d rather be doing. And I get it. There was a time in my life when I felt the same way. A sink full of dishes meant work; obligation. One more thing at the end of a long day. But recently something shifted. Now, when I stand at the sink, plate after plate passing through, I feel something different. Gratitude. Because a sink full of...