November 4, 2015 Communication
If that’s what it takes, then, yeah, families should take time out to eat together. The communication should (hopefully) come naturally. Unfortunately, it seems a little sad that families have to make appointments to eat together. But, it is understandable….
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October 31, 2015 Communication
No matter how shy you are; no matter how difficult you may find it; no matter how much it may be distasteful to you, the art of talking to strangers is an art it well behooves one to master. Some…
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October 9, 2015 Friends and Peers
The titles within this sub-thread (Friendship Drama & Issues) always crack me up. There is only “drama” among friends if you make it that way. One of the other writers wrote, and I agree, if the friend isn’t going to…
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Interesting concept. A piece on how to write a letter on an internet site. With the advent of the personal computer, the world wide web, emailing, texting, faxing and all forms of instant communication, the art of the personal letter…
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I suppose, for some people, the saying can seem trite and just something we mumble quickly, without thinking. For those, I answer the question with a qualified no. No, you can’t say “I love you” too much-as long as it’s…
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September 15, 2015 Friends and Peers
This one seems like a no-brainer, but perhaps I’m missing something that makes this a trick question. Think about the word “toxic.” What does it mean? It means poisonous. I should think that’s a pretty big clue right there. Listen,…
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September 14, 2015 Friends and Peers
I’m not a jealous person, so I tend not to be very tolerant of people who are. This goes for lovers and, most especially, friends. Personally, I don’t see an excuse for it. There’s plenty of love and friendship to go…
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September 13, 2015 Communication
I used to teach a class on crisis prevention and intervention. In that class, I taught that something like 85% of all communication is non-verbal. We use body language, tone of voice, eye contact and a host of other cues…
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September 13, 2015 Communication
This is really a pretty good question. Depending on the context, I really don’t mind receiving criticism – at least not as much as most people. Again, it depends on the context. Unlike a lot of people, I do like…
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September 4, 2015 Crisis Support
There are many who would say that cowardly is a bit strong. This may or may not be so, but one thing is for sure. Suicide is definitely a selfish act, whether or not one calls it cowardly. I can…
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September 3, 2015 Crisis Support
This isn’t meant to sound callous, but I don’t see what choice you have. People live. People die. Every one of us is going to lose someone very special to him/her before his/her own demise. It’s all a part of…
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I think the biggest problem I have with writing for helium is the fact that I overanalyze every question and wonder why they choose to word the questions the way they do. On the surface, this question should be pretty…
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August 21, 2015 Friends and Peers
This is actually a harder question to answer than it sounds. What separates a friend from an acquaintance? The dictionary definition (American Heritage Collegiate, 2nd Edition) of friend is “a person one knows, likes and trusts.” Perhaps the most important…
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Has it really gotten that bad? Are we so tuned into our computers, iPods and televisions that we actually need a “how-to” article on polite conversation? Seriously. Is having polite conversation really that difficult? Apparently, it is. Things to remember…
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July 26, 2015 Marriage and Divorce
Allow. That’s an interesting choice of words. I’m thinking that if the wife “allows” the husband to do anything, or vice versa, we’re looking at a marriage in trouble, anyway. It seems to me that a marriage is an agreement…
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July 24, 2015 Friends and Peers
We’ve all said it before, when in high school; when in college; into young adulthood: "Friends for Life." As a general rule, it’s probably a good idea. However, sometimes the situation changes. Sometimes, these changes aren’t for the better. Sometimes the changes are…
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June 17, 2015 Friends and Peers
Now this title fits perfectly under the sub-thread it’s a part of-“Friendship Drama and Issues.” We’re talking friendship, right? This isn’t ending a long-term relationship. This isn’t a divorce. This isn’t the end of a love affair. This is a…
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June 16, 2015 Marriage and Divorce
This is one of those very few absolute deal-breakers if two people are not in accord. It is a very serious decision to make and if one person wants kids and the prospective spouse does not, it’s really time to…
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Fortunately, it doesn’t happen very often, but every once in a while you get that phone call. Somehow, even before you pick it up, you know it’s bad news. After you hang up you, find out the news is worse…
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June 8, 2015 Friends and Peers
In a perfect world, the dynamics of the friendship wouldn’t change at all. In fact, for some people, the dynamic doesn’t change. Unfortunately, the overwhelming majority of people have some degree of emotion attached when it comes to sex. It…
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Unfortunately, it’s all too often that by the time we figure out not to say anything, we’ve already said something, which just makes a bad situation worse. People, as a whole, just have this tendency to believe that everything they…
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May 14, 2015 Marriage and Divorce
This is an interesting way to word a question. CAN a marriage continue without the couple being in love? Actually, as I re-read the question, I think I’m not as concerned with the word “can” as I am with the…
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One of the most difficult things to deal with is the death of someone very close. This is very obvious in some ways, but in addition, there are other considerations. Writing a sympathy note is one of those considerations. It’s…
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I was attending a conference dealing with best practices working with persons with developmental disabilities once, and one of the presenters stated this argument the best. He said, “We spend so much time in meetings that no one takes the…
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April 24, 2015 Friends and Peers
A lot of people would say a friend isn’t a true friend if (s)he won’t help you see through the hard times, and I would agree, but I think there’s more to it than that. A true friend is the…
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April 24, 2015 Friends and Peers
Being that we are a nation that prides itself on the individuality of its citizenry, I find this an odd question. Don’t get me wrong. I know how important it can be to try and fit it-when you’re a teenager….
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This is a question I’m going to need a little help with. What is the context? Is this “ex” an ex-spouse, an ex-lover? I only ask this because I am curious-if there are no words left, is there any need…
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Sacred, to me at least, means holy. I don’t see anything at all holy about marriage. Marriage is merely two people stating to the rest of the world, “this is the person I want to spend the rest of my…
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March 30, 2015 Friends and Peers
Even the title of this article is a little confusing. I’m assuming that, by friendship, we are talking about something platonic and not, in any way, some relationship to be construed as “lovers.” If this assumptin is correct, then what…
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March 14, 2015 Friends and Peers
For me, the concept of “dating” is a strange one. I’m in my middle-upper forties and have two divorces under my belt. I’m thinking I haven’t been on a “date” in a real long time. My significant other and I…
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