# Relationships
Healing My Relationships
I'm in no way a relationship expert. I'm not really an expert in anything, not even writing, which is the thing I studied only because it was the thing that felt most intuitive and correct. But if you asked me most grammar questions, I probably don't know the answer. I know what a noun is, but I don't know what a dangling participle is, and I don't much care. I learned how words work by reading a lot and by writing a lot and so, my expertise here was born of nothing more than exposure and practice.
Reciprocity norms may predict longevity in romantic relationships
**This is a work of nonfiction based on actual events that I have experienced firsthand; used with permission. I didn’t realize that my former partner kept score in our relationship until it was over. He’d been silently keeping a tally of all the money he’d spent on me for years. Although the things that I did for him made his life better and easier, he did not measure non-monetary deeds in the same way.
My boyfriend refused to share after I paid his rent, food, clothes: 'I know you love Yoo-hoo, so I didn't get you one'
*This is a work of nonfiction based on actual events I experienced firsthand; used with permission. My longest relationship lasted twelve years. I do not know how it lasted that long. My boyfriend of more than a decade was the most selfish man I've ever met.
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A fortune teller said my grandmother would live to be 120, and my grandmother believed her
*This is a work of nonfiction based on actual events as told to me by a family member who experienced them firsthand; used with permission. My grandmother knew she would not live forever, but she thought she would live to be a lot older than most people. When she was a young girl, a fortune teller said she would live to be 120 years old, and she believed her. She bragged about it all the time.
Feeling Powerless in Your Marriage
Bride and groom exchanging ringsPhoto by Flora Westbrook :. As a wife, it took a long time to communicate what I was feeling. The underlying core of why my marriage left me with a sense of desperation. As a journalist, who's spent more than a decade in counseling and research on the topic of relationships, I now can.
Opinion: My Narcissistic Father Didn't Care About My Long-Term Health
It’s fashionable for older generations to pick on younger generations in public and the media. They call people under thirty “lazy” and “entitled.” But the truth is that older generations have ruined the economy and the world.
My father said he wanted boiled pig's tails for dinner and my mother didn't know he was kidding
*This is a work of nonfiction based on actual events as told to me by a family member who experienced them firsthand; used with permission. The first time my mother cooked a traditional boiled dinner, it wasn't pretty, and it certainly wasn't appetizing. My grandmother had raised my father on a variety of different meats that some people would find unappetizing, including my mother.
Dating and the Unexpected Visitor
You might have been dating someone for a while and though the two of you might love and care about each other, you might have one issue. You may have an issue that your partner invites people over without you knowing. So, what do you do if your partner invites people over without talking to you about it first? How do you approach this type of situation? Though the answers to these questions may be different for everyone, here are a few suggestions.
Dating and Binge Wearing
You might have been dating someone for a while and though the two of you might get along, you might have one issue. You might have an issue that your partner likes to binge wear the clothing of their favorite television character. So, what do you do if your partner likes to binge wear their favorite television character's outfits? How do you approach this type of situation? Though the answers to these questions may be different for everyone, here are a few suggestions.
My mother's shame did not stop me from having my own affair
*This is a work of nonfiction based on actual events as told to me by a family member who experienced them firsthand; used with permission. I couldn’t believe it when my grandmother told me that my mom had had an affair with my grandfather’s best friend - and that I was the product of that affair.
Opinion: My Narcissistic Father Made Me Feel it Was My Job to Raise Him
Narcissistic parents are individuals who have never matured beyond infantile selfishness. The result of their stunted development means they are ill-suited to become parents. When narcissists have children, the children feel as if they must take on parental roles.
Opinion: There Lies Some Incel Undertones In The Statement That "Nobody Wants To Work Anymore".
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused much upheaval in the labor markets, that is for sure. According to the Harvard Business Review:. In 2021, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, over 47 million Americans voluntarily quit their jobs — an unprecedented mass exit from the workforce, spurred on by Covid-19, that is now widely being called the Great Resignation. Worker shortages are apparent everywhere: Gas stations and dentists offices alike have reduced their hours of operation because they can’t find new employees to replace those who have quit. The Great Resignation, we’re told, has upended the relationship between workers and the labor market.
Woman returns from ladies' room with toilet paper and skirt tucked into her girdle in embarrassing work snafu
*This is a work of nonfiction based on actual events as told to me by a family member who experienced them firsthand; used with permission. My mother worked at a jewelry shop in the 1960s. While working at the shop one afternoon, one of her coworkers went to the ladies' room, used the facilities, and then walked back to the floor where everyone else was hard at work making costume jewelry out of rhinestones.
Man refuses to give back wallet only to find that it's empty
*This is a work of nonfiction based on actual events I experienced firsthand; used with permission. My boyfriend and I spent the day at an amusement park. As we walked up a flight of stairs to board one ride, a leather wallet tumbled out of a man's pocket a few steps ahead of us.
Disregarding a Spouse's Stress
Couple discussing problemsPhoto by SHVETS production:. Couples tend to bicker over the same things again and again. We're different people, it's not uncommon to have varying opinions. But is it fair to talk someone out of their feelings? Because you disagree with it.
Dating and the Job
You might have been dating someone for a while and though the two of you might love and care about each other, you might have one issue. You might have an issue that when your partner comes home he or she is constantly complaining about his or her boss. So, what do you do if your partner constantly complains about his or her boss? How do you approach this type of situation? Though the answers to these questions might be different for everyone, here are a few suggestions.