One day, a friend called me in tears because his girlfriend had left him for someone else. I couldn’t quite grasp why he was so heartbroken.

I asked him, ‘Don’t you want to be with someone who loves you just as much as you love them? Someone who would never hurt you like this? She doesn’t meet that standard, so why are you so upset?’

It didn’t add up to me — at least not to me at this time in my life.

In that moment, I realized my perspective on emotions had shifted, setting me apart from others. For me, emotions have become obstacles on what could otherwise be a smooth road to happiness, while my friends seem to embrace and even […]

I married on June 7, 1970, at St. John Baptist Church in Milpitas, California.

At just 17, I was young, convinced I was in love, and determined enough to persuade my father to let me go through with it. My first husband, Dennis H., was 21.

He believed that once you “seal the deal,” everything naturally falls into place, leading to a marriage like his parents—a classic “happily ever after.”

I was determined to avoid a marriage like my dad’s and Dotti’s, which they often described as “unhappily ever after.”

At the time, I was filled with joy, optimism, passion, and the boundless energy of youth.

“For as long as you both shall live”—a vow I embraced with all the gravity and sincerity of a […]

A friend sees beyond your flaws and celebrates the beauty in your life.

True friendship exists in the quiet moments, where words aren’t needed to feel understood.

Recently, a few people have contacted me on social media after coming across my blog.

They were intrigued by what I shared and wanted to connect. In every instance, I evaluate the person before deciding whether to accept or decline their invitation. Sometimes, instead of immediately accepting, I’ll ask why they’re interested in connecting. More often than not, the usual reply is that they want to be friends. I explain to them that a friend is someone truly special, someone I’ve built a close connection with over time, who supports me and has earned my trust. […]

I’ve experienced a profound love that sets the standard and makes me feel truly blessed. Deep relationships are soulful connections that involve understanding a person through their existence.

Many people seem to settle, as I did for years, until I was fortunate to experience a deep, genuine connection.

Relationships are often mistakenly seen as just a commitment between two people, a dedication with a sense of belonging to one another. That limited view can foster expectations, possessiveness, and inevitable disappointment, leading to feelings of greed, ignorance, ownership, and selfish desires.

I’ve given dating many tries. Through my one authentic love experience, I’ve learned that a healthy relationship is about two people supporting each other on their spiritual paths. Whenever I share this perspective, […]