There is much to look forward to during the upcoming holiday season, but many families spend this time dealing with stress from family conflict, travels, and disrupted schedules. Children especially can experience stress around the holidays despite their excitement. In my practice, I frequently tell families: even positive stress is stressful. So how can you tell when your children are experiencing stress? And what are some ways you can help your kids manage stress during the holidays?

When we slow in our mountain of “to-do’s” to speak prayers, to call out something beautiful in another person, or to truly hear them in a time of need we are providing an opportunity for something greater than just two people gathered together. We invite an experience of sharing God’s loving gaze with that person. It can be life-changing for them, and/or us, when we take the time to share in one another’s belovedness.

When it comes to postpartum depression and anxiety no one is at fault.  No one chooses to think and feel this way and it is not as easy as waiting it out (though truly, I wish it could be).  Support, validation, reassurance, sleep, and adequate food intake are essential elements in feeling better. 

“I can’t seem to remember things the way I used to.” This may be an unsettling thought that you or someone in your family has had recently, and it can be scary because it leads to more questions that you may not know the answers to or want to discover. To bring some clarity to the issue, there is some basic information you may wish to know about memory loss and aging.