In the blink of an eye, my child had become a teen and instead of calling me 'mummy' she was, on this occasion, calling me a ‘hypocrite’. My hackles were up. My inner defence system had instantaneously sounded the alarm and I was getting ready to launch back. Then from somewhere in my subconscious, a […]

It is probably up there with one of the hardest things I have ever done. The words, ‘I can’t do it’, stuck in my throat, grating raspingly, like a fish-bone lodged in my esophagus. (Apologies for the graphic analogy and to anyone having fish for their Christmas dinner.) I was sat with my pastor at the […]

When talking about mum and dad with his Play Therapist, a boy was asked to choose a toy to represent each of his parents and himself. For dad, he chose a shark; for himself he chose a lion, and for mum he picked a giraffe which he positioned on the floor in between the shark […]

How often have lovers stalled on taking the next step because they weren't sure if they were ready, “for a serious relationship”, or they were "not ready to commit", at least not until they'd fulfilled their other life-goals and dreams. The choice we seem to be confronted with is either: independence and autonomy, or relationship […]