Relationships

Relationships

The next day, Bill said he'd drop her off at the airport, and we used her car for the journey since it could fit all her luggage in. It was a favour to her, and she was very grateful. However, when she got home three weeks later, she called to tell us that she had a parking ticket at home, because we didn't pay the airport's drop-off charge when we arrived.

It may be time to have a different conversation with your friend. Perhaps she is having memory problems. See if you can cite at least three instances when your friend has recounted a different version of a story to you than you remember. Tell her that you are concerned about her memory, and give her these examples as evidence. Know that she is likely to push back. Tell her anyway.

The five apology languages were coined by Gary Chapman, author of The 5 Love Languages, andclinical psychologist Dr. Jennifer Thomas, Chapman's co-author of The 5 Apology Languages. In the same way that love languages are meant to describe how a person might recognize love when it's given to them, apology languages can help partners understand what it is about an apology that makes it feel genuine to the person they love.

Last night I had a dream and you were in it, and I was in it with you. I was doing the packing I never did. Not sure how it started, that's how dreams go. But I was nervous that you might show up. Just like you were nervous I'd be there. Eventually you did show up, but your head was buzzed and dyed orange.

There is something strangely refreshing about the new year. Perhaps it's the sense that time coheres into a neat box, or the psychological appeal of getting a brand-new start. Culturally, humans have an intuitive understanding that the new year is a time for stock-taking. In matters of the heart, this seasonal pause offers an opportunity to recalibrate with a spirit of intentionality. Couples that succeed are the ones that regularly have honest conversations.

Abigail needs to tell her adult son Mark that she thinks he has a drinking problem. Simon needs to tell his wife Lisa that he's afraid he doesn't love her anymore. From time to time, we all find ourselves in a tough spot. Something looks wrong or feels wrong, and we need to say something difficult. Something painful that may hurt someone we care about, but which nevertheless must be said.

Some of the most painful moments in relationships don't happen during overt conflict. They happen in its wake, or alongside it, or quietly-when both partners are trying to connect and still feel alone. These are the moments couples struggle to name. Nothing "bad" has happened, exactly, on the surface. No one has exploded or walked out. And, yet, something has gone wrong.

In the summer of 1989, Karen Palmer bought a used car for cash, filled it with belongings some clothes, toys, one pot, one pan and a shoebox of photos and disappeared with her new husband and two young daughters. She didn't tell her mother, her friends or her neighbours where she was going. She gave no notice to her employers and landlord, leaving items out on her apartment balcony as a sign she still lived there.

We live in a world of instant gratification. Sushi arrives at our door in minutes, a gorgeous coat can be bought with a few taps, and dating apps let us feel attractive from the comfort of our couch. With everything available instantly, it's no surprise that some singles are craving the opposite - a rewind to romance, old-school style. Inspired by "Friends" episodes and parents beginning sentences with "Back in my day...," daters are chasing grand gestures, simpler dates

My girlfriend grew up on a farm and had to fend for herself and a sibling a great deal, especially around preparing meals. Somewhere along the line, she became an adult who over-purchases food and prepares quantities of it fit for an army, even when it's just the two of us. She is constantly stressed about using up groceries and leftovers before they spoil, but this doesn't seem to reduce

At the time, my gut feeling was that he felt awkward inviting me and his aunt when his parents weren't included. In the past, I have sent Ethan a check on his birthday and at Christmas and helped him financially with vehicle repairs. Although I was not invited, I sent a congratulatory card for the wedding, with a significant check enclosed. He cashed the check but did not acknowledge receipt of the card.

Throughout many immigrant experiences, stories collected from family members can be a starting point for migrants. The memories gleaned from parents, grandparents, aunts, and uncles-who crossed dozens of borders at great risk and with immense pain-can settle into the consciousness of new host communities for decades. For the migrants, these stories and memories represent the first step into a new world and contain lifelines with the potential and promise to build new, resilient identities and a sense of belonging in often hostile environments.

To me, the point of a boundary isn't to simply push another person away (the end). It's an intentional choice that invites relational connection. A boundary is any parameter, limitation, or stabilizing action that we feel we need to be as present and open to possibility with our scene partners in life as we can, without feeling compromised. Our boundaries are ours to name and claim, regardless of whether others understand or validate them.

When you're with the right person, it's effortless (wrong). Never go to bed angry (also wrong). Relationship advice is often centered on the idea that we shouldn't experience frustration with each other, a sentiment that sounds nice, in theory. In reality, that goal keeps us repeating the same patterns and wondering why we keep having the same fight; why our partner still doesn't understand us; or why we feel alone.

Being a couple is all about working together as a team, having each other's backs, and doing your best to help each other build the lives you want. But there will be clear snags and challenges-different priorities or perspectives, or feeling bothered by what your partner is doing. Just like building a house, you start with a solid foundation. Or think of it as a thermostat that helps maintain a steady emotional temperature.

If you are in an unhealthy marriage that has been dysfunctional for years, it may be hard to accept the reality that your marriage and/or your spouse is not going to change. You've invested time and energy into this relationship and don't want to give up now. Maybe you keep thinking that once life settles down, or you get that new job, or the kids are more independent, then things will get better.

Siblings usually grow up together in the same house, with the same parents, and sharing the same cultural background, yet they still become remarkably different people with distinct interests and divergent life paths. This is a widespread occurrence in families, but in immigrant families, the phenomenon becomes even more pronounced, as cultural expectations, adaptation pressures, and family roles provide additional layers of complexity. Children raised in such environments must navigate between the customs of their ancestors and the practices of the dominant culture,

It was his aside that spoiled the secret identity of Santa Claus; he who laughingly revealed the mechanics of sex; he who gave me my first sip of beer. Yet, when he found out I was sneaking cigarettes from my dad's stale dinner party supply, he chastised me before either of my parents could, and when my mum was diagnosed with cancer and I was just 15, he was already a 22-year-old medical student.

As the fiduciary of my parents' estate, I followed their trust directives as written, with no exceptions. My son received a nice check, but not as large as he had expected. He was upset and blamed me for taking his money. Then he declared that we would never see our grandsons again unless he received what his grandmother had promised. He refused to understand the concept of a trustee's fiduciary duty and has ghosted us,

You didn't just lose a husband-you also folded yourself into his family's grief and stood beside them through their darkest moments. Those ties don't simply disappear because life moves forward. Knowing that firsthand, I want to acknowledge the very human dilemma you are facing. You're balancing loyalty to someone who has been family for a long time with the commitment you are now making to a new partner. These are not simple emotional shifts. They require courage, clarity, empathy, and a whole lot of heart.