Voices

More steps to peace

The most common excuse for avoiding the hard work of becoming a peacemaker is the belief that one person can’t make a difference. In response,…


Steps to peace

I’ve always loved the hymn “Let There Be Peace on Earth (and let it begin with me).” The actual labor required to practice nonviolence is…


Learning from failure

My last five relationships all failed. All five women told me from the start that I was everything they were looking for in a man….


Wandering eyes

I have been living with my boyfriend for more than three years. I believe we are in love and are committed to the idea of…



Sex or consequences

Five years ago, I was with a girl. We were sexually irresponsible, and she became pregnant. I was horrified at the thought of having a…


Wherefore art thou single?

Recently, a reader posed the question, “Why is it so hard to meet someone compatible for an intimate, committed relationship?” I invited you to share…


Me first!

I’m 50 years old and have been in a relationship for five years with a man who is 10 years younger. He has three teenage…



Miss Right

My boyfriend has told me, in a non-accusatory way, that he needs me to be more emotionally stable, but I still lose it regularly. Maybe…


Is life over at 35?

I am depressed about my upcoming 35th birthday because I don’t believe I have a purpose. Every dream I try fails miserably. For instance, I’m…


Crowded house

My sister-in-law and her 2-year-old have lived with my husband and me and one of our children for more than a year. She is a…


Dining drama

Somehow I gave my partner the impression that I don’t think she’s very intelligent. She says I ignore her during group discussions, and I make…



The legacy of 9/11

Last September 11th I woke from a night’s sleep with the strangest thought: “Something is wrong here.” As I prepared for work that thought repeated…


Try it, you’ll like it

Every time I think about the situation I am about to describe, I ask myself, “What would Joey think?” Here’s the problem: I was dating…