It was a beautiful Sunday afternoon.
The sun shone brightly against the backdrop of a tantalizing bright blue sky. The horizon gleamed with only an occasional wisp of white clouds, the sole deterrent in the ocean of blue hanging above us. Ron and I arrived at the restaurant with our friends - all of us…
Family
I have heard a lot of great advice to help make my marriage strong and healthy.
We have also given thousands of people advice to help their relationship become stronger and healthier. It is our passion to see marriages thrive—especially for those who are experiencing incarceration. Keeping your marriage strong is your priority…
One thing I never have enough of is time.
I always have the best intentions of accomplishing everything I want to do, but time still gets in the way. I am always re-prioritizing, always trying to squeeze more into the 24 hours I have each day. It never works. Something is always left undone…
Why aren't you hanging your towel on the rack?
Why can't you just throw your dirty clothes into the hamper that's 2 feet away? You always leave toothpaste in the sink. You never pick up your socks. Don't touch me right now, I am busy. Did you call the repairman? Did you stop and pick…
It isn't always obvious when a relationship is toxic.
You fell in love with this guy. He was charming, fun, and attentive. As time went by, you started noticing that he was not always the guy you fell in love with—he began to do and say mean and hurtful things. Every relationship goes through seasons…
Boys have feelings, too.
The media’s message is that boys are destructive, uncaring, and sometimes just plain dumb. Our society is buying the lie that boys don’t have feelings and that lie is hurting our sons. Mom, you have a vital role in your son’s life. Boys need their dads to teach them how…
After Ron went to prison
I became intensely aware that my children were more at risk of going to prison. It scared me. I never wanted to visit my child in prison. Not EVER. Every time I heard another statistic, the reality of the battle for my children’s future slapped me in the face. I…
Buying a house was the impossible dream for me when Ron went to prison.
I was convinced that I would never be able to achieve the prestigious label of “homeowner.” I know some people CHOOSE to rent instead of buying a house, but I did not have a choice. I didn’t have the income, nor…
I stood in a room full of people, but I felt completely alone.
Laughter drifted past me, and voices carried the pain of my loss as they floated around me. Pain and grief were my constant companions. My husband was in prison and I had been left alone out here to carry a heavy…
When Ron was in prison...
I invested heavily in my sons to help reduce the pain of living with only one parent. I made plans to take them places so we could spend time together building wonderful memories despite Ron’s incarceration. I was intentional about creating memories together. Ron came home, and I must confess…