Until I divorced a man — I’m ticked off. Never in my life did I feel like I had anything to prove to the world. I was your typical girl, confident with one or two Achilles heels. I didn’t have a big ego nor did I lack one. …

I have always been motivated by love — I call myself a southern New Yorker much to the dismay of my true Nu Yawker buddies. I blame it on my native Brooklyn parents and a large Irish brood that makes The Big Apple home. I am also a declared Jersey girl despite the protests of my Sea Isle…

I shed years of tears with that white dress — I am chatting with someone about relationships. I’ve spent a decade in the counseling and research of love. Unfortunately, there’s no secret ‘tell’ sign as we jump from dating to marriage. “You don’t know someone until you’ve married them,” I say. “I’ve heard that before,” they respond. Some may find…

The good news is there is more than one true love out there — At sixteen, I believed my best friend and I would one-day live side by side. Our gorgeous families separated only by dreamy white picket fences. A romantic suburban euphoria. By the time I was nineteen, I graduated to believing I had found the love of my life. And of course…

It made me deny this powerful narcissistic truth — My boys and I pull into the church parking lot. I put the car in park and ask them to say a prayer before we head into Sunday Mass. “Let’s pray for a miracle for Dad,” I say. “No,” they say. “It’s time to give up.” My husband has been…

I’m ready for online dating and my family and I disagree — What’s fair in love and online dating? I just wrote A Man Walking by Asked Me Out. It was predicated on a family discussion about online dating and protocol. My niece, nephew, and my boys had some interesting opinions. “I think a guy should pay for the first date,” I…

I guess it’s better than meeting in a bar or is it? — I meet my family for lunch. My nephew is talking about meeting someone online. We speak seriously for a bit and then we start joking and examining the semantics of online dating. Who pays for the first meal? Do you split the tab on the next bill? Do you meet…

A few people judged me and said I was crazy for getting a dog — “You’re crazy,” says my friend. “The last thing you need is a dog right now.” Technically, it’s another dog and a sentiment uttered by many in my world. “I know,” I say. “But our home needs an infusion of joy. My kids can’t take anymore.” Enter head shaking, aka, overt…

Is one word the reason you are staying married? — “Colleen,” says my sister. “You are smarter than this.” “I know,” I say. “A lot of women would stay,” she says. “But you know better.” My sister is referencing our childhood. Our mother made her way out of a bad relationship. Our father’s drinking was intolerable and one day he…