I am blessed with really beautiful friendships. Vivid memories of laughter, adventures, and long talks where we share our dreams and fears are sprinkled generously throughout my memory. As a highly relational person, friendships and community make me into the fullest version of myself. Without
“You is kind. You is smart. And you is important.” These are the precious words Aibileen shared with young Mae Mobley in the movie, The Help. While the words are simple, the message is deep…it’s about communicating the truth about her value and significance
Perhaps you are embarking on a new career
In second grade, I met my first best friend, Kimberly. She was the kind of friend I knew I’d be friends with forever because we were practically twins and did just about everything together. Our friendship was easy because it was simple; we shared a
Wedding save-the-dates adorn your fridge, bridesmaid dresses fill your closet, the wedding registry department of the local housewares store knows you by name. It’s wedding season and you’re one step closer to becoming Katherine Heigl in 27 Dresses. This life season—where some of our closest
If there’s one thing we appreciate at Darling, it’s relationships—with friends, with family and with loved ones. Combine that with beautiful photography and you have Alex from Wild Eyed Photography. As a natural light photographer with a photojournalistic style, she captures life as it’s happening,
Closure: It’s the phone call, the slammed door, or the drink-in-the-face. It’s the ability to walk away from a relationship with a sense of finality. If we look to the fearless example of Miss Taylor Swift, closure is the moment we say with determination, “we
I hope I’m not alone when I say that dating is not my thing. Though I don’t believe that I’m an awkward person, there’s something about the first few dates with someone new that makes my skin crawl. Do you open the door? Does he?
“I think we should break up.” Of all of the responses to the dreaded break-up speech, “Thank you” assuredly ranks among the most rare. And while that may not be your initial response when the time with your significant other comes to a close, there’s
Is it me? Is it him? Did I do something wrong? Why isn’t this working?generic cialis online If you’ve been in a dating relationship, chances are you’ve asked yourself a few of these questions before. Relationships can be a tough road to navigate. The culture
You’ve said “yes,” you’ve set a date, you’ve bought the dress, and everything is as it should be…but you still harbor fear in your heart — fear that the pain of your parents’ divorce will somehow plague your own marriage, fear that you will be
In my last article, we came up with the WHY behind our relationship boundaries, discussing how the WHY gives purpose, lays the foundation, and keeps us committed to the boundaries each of us sets for ourselves. Today, we’re discussing the HOW. Building healthy, effective boundaries begins with
When did we become so afraid of the C-word? No, not cancer, credit check or
About two months ago I went to a party at a new friend’s house to get to know her and her husband better. I stood around a table with some of their friends and played a group game. During this game a well-known man standing
I have generally have considered myself a hopeless blind-dater. Prior to the most recent one, I had only been on several. All were so thoroughly uncomfortable that at the end of each, I vowed that I had been on my last blind date. Shamefully, my
Continued from the Series: "I's" of Prioritize In prioritizing your time, the first consideration is a task's immediacy. You may think, and rightly so, that if you only do what's necessary right now, your actions will always be completely reactionary. Plus, "failing to plan is planning
Barrier. Border. Extent. Limit. Line. Edge. Boundary. We all have them in our lives. It's how much you will put up with before you reach your limit. The extent to which you will go for a friend. The edge of your personal bubble. The line
Our last type of love is the Greek word Eros, which derives its origin from the mythical god Eros, the god of love. Eros is the sense of “being in love,” also including a physically passionate love. C.S. Lewis, in his book The Four Loves,
We asked Emily Gallentine, who we consider a “professional friend,” to teach us about the second type of love, which in Greek is called Philia. This side of love includes love between family members, friends, and community—requiring loyalty, equality, and familiarity. Otherwise referred to as phileo,
It involves the tongue, the lips, the jaw, the lungs, the glottis, and the vocal tract. It uniquely requires both hemispheres of the brain, various neurotransmitters and long-reaching nerves. It is learned, memorized and exercised with thought, intelligence and feeling. Sometimes. Sometimes our speech is far more
For the vast majority of my life, I obtained a highly dysfunctional relationship with this “thing,” called love. It was as if one day love would be perpetual in every dimension of the day’s journey, thus plunging itself into the bottomless ocean of my soul, leaving
Age twelve. I sit in front of the mirror in the locker room after gym, watching my friend put on her mascara. “We don’t like her.” She whispers to me with a cruel smile, eyeing a girl walking past us. “Why?” I ask. “Because she’s pretty.” This dusty little
If you listen to popular ‘wisdom’ you will hear a very subtle refrain, almost too quiet to hear: Take care of yourself first, others next. It seems worthy--I mean, the "others" part is in there, right? I can’t put an oxygen mask on someone else before
Be a servant. This Christmas we will all most likely be around family or friends who have taken us in for the holiday. Make it a point to serve them. Here are some ideas: Offer to vacuum, sweep or clean whatever is needed before the
Talk to the person next to you on the airplane. As many of us will probably be on planes this season, let's take this challenge and actually engage someone new. Asking "tell me about yourself" is a great question. Instead of discussing the typical background
Put away your cell phone while conversing with someone. It's harder than it sounds, but it also will make a bigger difference than you would think! Give the person you are with your full attention. It sends a message of "you are not as important as
Talk to someone at a party that is an "outsider." Some people are very shy and uncomfortable in social situations. Go out of your way to approach them and introduce yourself. Ask them questions about themselves and make them feel comfortable. Invite them into a
I lied to my mother. Yes, the woman to whom I owe my life. And it wasn't a white lie, a "harmless" lie. No, this lie was more like a platinum lie. It was to her benefit. Not to spare her feelings or anything, but
Send a Christmas card to your kindergarten or first grade teacher. Yes it was ages ago, but with the amount of social networking sites we now have, you might be able to find him/her easier. If you can't send a physical card, Darling recommends Paperless Post for cute
Say "I'm sorry." Maybe you said something to a co-worker that caused a ripple in the relationship, and you both pretend it didn't happen. Or perhaps you said something to your husband that belongs on an episode of Real Housewives; you both have swept past