Gift Ideas for Inmates

One of the simplest ways to let someone know you care about them is to get them a gift. Gifts are wonderful for holidays, birthdays, special occasions, or just to lift someone’s spirits during a difficult time. When someone is in prison, sending a gift becomes complicated and confusing. People often ask questions like, “What…

October 16, 20170Comments

Bycatherine@theridgeproject.com

Family

Friendships That Last

Friendships that last There is a saying about friendship, “If you want to find out who’s a true friend, screw up, then see who sticks around.” I don’t know who said this originally, but if I had to guess, I’d guess it was either someone who went to prison or a family member of a…

October 13, 20170Comments

Bycatherine@theridgeproject.com

Family

No More Goodbyes

When Daddy goes to prison, everything changes And nothing will ever be the same again. This is especially true for children who lived with their father before prison. Suddenly, every encounter they have with Daddy (prison visits, phone calls, or letters) includes an emotional goodbye. Goodbyes are hard. They remind us we are parting, each…

October 10, 20170Comments

Bycatherine@theridgeproject.com

Family

Writing to Someone in Prison

It is so amazing to me how much people take talking for granted. How much I used to take it for granted. I love to talk. I talk to people, with people, at people, and I have even been known to talk to myself. It never occurred to me that there would come a day…

September 29, 20170Comments

Bycatherine@theridgeproject.com

Family

Protect Your Marriage

You might be surprised that I am actually talking about the impact of prison on sex. No one really talks about how prison drastically affects intimacy. When Ron went to prison there was one important part of our relationship that stopped. Sex. Naturally, sex had been an important part of our relationship, but it wasn’t…

September 19, 20170Comments

Bycatherine@theridgeproject.com

Family

Why Should I Stay?

The question of staying or leaving a man who is in prison is one I hear often And one I had to wrestle with when Ron went to prison. The pain of the separation, the social prejudice, and the painful memories of trust betrayed all make a compelling case to leave. And yet, you are…

September 12, 20170Comments

Bycatherine@theridgeproject.com

Family

How to Avoid an Argument

Arguments are never about nothing Most of the time, we are left wondering how in the world we got into this heated argument when it started out as a serious conversation. The original topic somehow gets lost in the discussion as soon as someone asks the question, “WHY?” or the other starts their sentence with,…

July 11, 20170Comments

Bycatherine@theridgeproject.com

Family

Tips for Traveling Alone

When Ron went to prison, I was absolutely devastated. And not just because I was now a socially single mother, but also because I was suddenly thrust into having to travel alone. And I am not talking about national travel, I am talking about driving. Probably no big deal for most people, and probably the…

July 8, 20170Comments

Bycatherine@theridgeproject.com

Family Leadership

Single Income

For most of us, spending our money is way more fun than budgeting our money. We view budgeting as something we have to do and spending as something we get to do. We equate sticking to a budget with responsibility, while we look at the act of spending money as frivolous. But, maybe it doesn’t…

July 7, 20170Comments

ByBrandon.tijerina@theridgeproject.com

Family

How to Stay Motivated

This is a great article on staying motivated even when you cannot see immediate results. “As humans, we are hardwired to seek and engage in activities that provide us instant gratification.” As you move forward in pursuit of your dream, it’s important to recognize that you need to experience the gratification of accomplishment to bring…

June 28, 20170Comments

ByBrandon.tijerina@theridgeproject.com