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Excuses. Excuses. We are all guilty of using them, but some folks are chronic repeat offenders. There, we've said enough! Alibis are designed to get someone off the hook; either the person who needs the excuse uses it or someone else will make excuses for that person. A classic example: "The dog ate my homework" is recycled in myriad versions by someone who didn't meet a deadline of some kind or messed up in some way. Sure. Blame the helpless canine that can't talk and defend themself. By our 70s-and probably far earlier--we think we've heard enough variations of excuses...

It happens to most of us and can be a gut-punch. You have a strong relationship with someone and suddenly they disappear. Poof. It’s called ghosting and occurs when a person stops communicating with another without warning. They disappear into thin air like a ghost. When the person who is ghosted reaches out, wondering what happened, they are completely ignored. Dead silence. Naturally, it’s upsetting. Is ghosting on the rise? Judith Rabi, LCSW and psychotherapist in private practice, thinks so and it might be related in part to our digital lives. “It’s happening because we have something called social media,...

    You never get over the death of a parent, even if it is the Queen of England and you've inherited the role, thanks to the rules of primogeniture. The longer a mother (or father) lives, the harder it is to say goodbye-not only to the parent-but to the last vestiges of your former, somewhat, independent life. In the case of Charles, the world saw him go from prince to king when his mother took her last breath. We've lost parents. As a result, we have good advice to offer a member of the Royal family, once again. More...

By Vikki Stark, PsychotherapistAuthor of Runaway Husbands: The Abandoned Wife's Guide to Recovery and Renewalwww.runawayhusbands.com   Imagine that you're happily settled in a long-term marriage. You trust your husband implicitly. The two of you are busy with normal stuff--organizing a holiday celebration, renovating a bathroom, planning a barbecue for the family and thinking longer term about a vacation far away. Now imagine that one ordinary day, he comes home from work and says, "It's over. I'm leaving right now and moving in with my girlfriend." How would you feel? This is the reality for women across the world who have...

Are you the hostess with the mostess? Is your home, which may at times have so many visitors that it seems more like an inn, warm and welcoming, or frantic?  Both of us live in popular areas for visitors, and we tend to host many folks, which we enjoy doing (most of the time).  With fall in the air and Covid numbers down, family and friends are eager to travel. In some areas, such as Barbara's in New York's upstate Hudson Valley, fall is a gorgeous time and even better now with more available airline seats at better prices, fewer...