Helping Others-Natural Compassion

Sometimes, helping others is as automatic as breathing. It comes natural for many people. They radiate nurturance and acceptance to those they come in contact with during their daily journey. Those who have open hearts and giving spirits tend to reach out to others in a caring way. They have an instinctive response when they […]

Saying Goodbye to a Loved One Who is Dying

Standing at the bedside of a parent or friend who is in the process of transitioning out of this life is not an experience most people prepare for and many find overwhelming. You can be so traumatized that you neglect the opportunity to tell that person how you truly feel. Sharing and listening can be […]

Sing Away Sadness

Climb every Mountain.. The Hills are alive with the Sound of Music… Can you see Julie Andrews on the Mountain side raising her arms and her voice as she encouraged the Von Trapp family to keep going in the face of adversity. It really doesn't matter how well you can sing or even if you […]

Mother’s Day Message to Adult Children

  Dear Loved Ones: I want you to know that when you were growing up, I always got a knot in my stomach when Mother’s Day was coming up.  On that Sunday every year when I yelled and prodded and threatened you if you didn’t get ready, my mind was kind of hoping we would […]

Indigo Children – Born To Lead Hard To Manage

As I travel the country teaching workshops for parents, teachers and day care providers I often ask them if they recognize Auntie Artichoke enjoys working with the parents of Indigo Children the Indigo Children. These children are not content to color in the lines or glue macaroni on paper. They are very bright but also […]

Strength and Weakness-Become Stronger in Weak Places

Strength and Weakness – Become Stronger in Weak Places As a business owner, parent educator, parent and volunteer in the community, I have had an opportunity to see strengths and weakness in many people. Our children have had sports coaches who made them feel great about themselves whether they won or lost the game. These […]

Explaining Death And Dying To Children

A positive attitude and clear answers will help. Hello from beautiful Montana: What is death? What does Dead Mean? These questions are some of the hardest for parents to answer, especially because most have not examined their own feelings, emotions and believe systems around death and dying. Most of the parents I teach in parenting […]

Greiving a Broken Relationship – Death, Divorce or Dumping

If you are feeling like a little lost child who has lost her best friend and doesn’t know what to do, then welcome to the club. We all feel like children when we are sad and lonely Most of us, adult and child, have gone through the experience of losing a meaningful relationship. It is […]

Set Your Boundaries & Communicate What You Need

Greetings from beautiful Montana; Boundaries are not fences to keep friends and family out, but rather guidelines on where we, personally, feel the most comfortable.  Many people are hesitant to set boundaries for fear of hurting feelings or causing resentments.  However, people are not mind readers and do not know what you want and don’t […]

Grief Work is Hard Work – Take Time To Heal

Hello from Montana: Most people get very nostalgic because their minds and Bereavement and Grief are hard work. Be clear in setting boundaries and what you need from others. give yourself time to heal from loss. hearts are triggered by sights, sounds, smells and events.  Smelling of pine trees reminds them of the Christmas when Grandpa brought […]

Young Adults and Teens Deal With Death of a Pet

Young Adults Who Lose a Pet Teens and “Tweens” are always dealing with zig-zagging emotions. The beloved pet may have offered friendship when all other relationships were changing. The loss of a pet to this age group can be particularly hard.  The Pet may have been a source of unconditional love and companionship during childhood. […]

Children, Adolescents, and Loss

Hello from beautiful Montana; Do children, adolescents, and young people experience loss differently than adults?  Do they mourn the loss of a pet the same way they would grieve the loss of a grandparent or sibling? Do they bounce back from a significant loss as easily as the adults around them previously thought? For many is not that easy […]

Loss of a Pet – Burial or Cremation

Hello from beautiful Montana: The loss of a beloved pet and best friend is devastating. In interviewing hundreds of pet owners and sharing their stories, it is plain to see that the loss of a pet may trigger many other emotions about relationships, both animal and human. The final days of your pet’s life may […]

Death in The Family Brings Out Best and Worst In All Of Us

Hello from beautiful Montana.  Death of family members brings out the best and worst in how we act and react to bad news. For those of us who are Baby Boomers, deaths in the family are becoming more and more routine. Cousins who never have time to come to family reunions or wedding celebrations are […]

A Really Good Dog Story

Hello from Montana: My friend sent me this story this morning because she knew I was collecting stories about death of pets.  This is a great story. Have your Kleenex handy. They told me the big > black Lab’s name was Reggie as I looked at him lying in > his pen. The shelter was […]

Disbelief About Death of a Loved One

The days and weeks following the death of a loved one, whether human or  a beloved animal companion, may pass in a blur.  It is human nature to want to wish away grief with disbelief. It is possible for belief and disbelief to operate in our sub conscious minds at the same time. There is […]

5 Tips for Family Resilience- Bounce Back From Adversity

5 Tips for Family Resilience- Bounce Back From Adversity Family resilience is the ability to bounce back from the adversities and bad luck that befall us.  No family or individual is immune from misfortune and tragedy. Daily life is filled with challenges to individual members of the family and sometimes to the family unit itself. […]

Success or Failure -Teeter Totter

Success Or Failure- Teeter-Totter   Recently I needed a see-saw or teeter-totter as a visual for a video I was doing on balance. Aside from the fact it was very hard to find (don’t children play with small toys anymore) it represented how opposite things are in life. For instance, success and failure are both […]

Aunt or Auntie? Wise Women Who Love You

What Is An Auntie? Is it Different From An Aunt? Do you have an Auntie? I hope so because everybody deserves to have someone in their lives who will encourage, support and think they are wonderful. Many people have asked me about my title of Auntie Artichoke. Whose aunt am I? Do I have many […]

3 Ways Women Give Away Their Power

3 Ways Women Give Away Their Power What is power anyway? How does one get it and how does one give it away? What three words come to mind when I say power?  Is it control? Is it domination?  Is energy, as in turning on the electrical power? By focusing on control or domination, we […]

Empathy, Sympathy; Emotions and Understanding for Others

Empathy, Emotions and Understanding for Other People When we have empathy, we understand that other people are emotional beings and their emotions are affected by every experience in life.  We also understand that while we may have had similar experiences, we really have no idea exactly how they feel. Empathy is much different from sympathy. […]

Encouragement, Praise and Empowerment

Encouragement, Praise and Empowerment There is a big difference between praise and encouragement. Many parents, employers and mentors do not know what to say that will motivate and empower others.  As a parent educator and family coach for over 25 years, I have seen and experienced this confusion in my own  life and the lives […]

Sounding Board and MasterMind

Sounding Board and Master Mind. I can literally mark the day my income started climbing and my mind shifted to a new level.  It was when I joined a master mind of successful people.  You do not bring problems or whine about situations to the group, but instead ask for insight and guidance. The idea […]

Set An Intention To Move Forward

Set An Intention To Move Forward The fact that you are reading this book or article tells me that you want to move forward in life.  You have already set that intention when you picked it up and started reading. Without verbalizing it, you may have subconsciously thought “I want to do more, be more, […]