Single, With Children: Returning to the Dating Scene

When my marriage ended, I couldn’t wait to start dating again. After throwing one bad fish back into the sea, I imagined a bounty of great catches. I knew what I didn’t want, so hooking the right guy would be easier this time, right?
Wrong!
I soon discovered that single moms are not a hot commodity on [...]

Like Avis, Stepfamilies Have to Try Harder

I can’t think of a better time than Christmas to talk about stepfamilies. After all, Jesus grew up in one. While we never heard much about His stepfather, Joseph, he gets my vote as the patron saint of stepfamilies. Imagine spending a day in his sandals trying to co-parent the Son of God.
Someday, I plan [...]

Alone But Not Lonely For the Holidays

The editor of Single Minded Women asked me to write a piece about “surviving” the holidays as a single mom. Good choice on her part because I am a PRO at it! Counting this year, I will have celebrated 11 Thanksgivings and Christmases as a single mother. With a shared custody arrangement during the holidays, [...]

Love Shouldn’t Hurt: Domestic Violence Hits Home for 1 Out of 4 Women

Your home is supposed to be a safe place, a refuge from the stresses and storms of life. You shut your front door at night and gather around the warmth of kinship to relax, refuel and recharge. It feels so good to be home.
But for one out of every four women in this country, home [...]

Keep the Married Name or Change it?

I never really liked my maiden name: a German derivation I always had a hard time pronouncing. So when I got married, I was secretly thrilled about ditching the old name and moving up in the alphabet to “A.” I like being first (who doesn’t?) and my married name allowed me to be numero uno in [...]

A Father’s Loss

Last week, my oldest daughter dropped a bombshell. She didn’t want to spend the night at her dad’s anymore because she doesn’t sleep well there. “It’s dark and cold” and her sister snores. To my great surprise, I was overcome with compassion for my ex. I knew he’d be devastated to lose this precious time [...]

Frog County: That Prince of a Guy Is Out There, Somewhere

On any given Friday or Saturday night, Orange County, California, is hopping with hopeful singles – young, old and middle-aged – jumping from eateries to bars to nightclubs looking for romance and a chance encounter with “The One.” If you listen closely, straining to hear past the pulsating music, clinking glasses and small talk, you’ll [...]