It’s hard to believe that it has been 5 years since the world was turned upside down by Covid. I was teaching at CUNY Law School that semester, and one day in March 2020, I realized that we were all having trouble concentrating on family law because we were so worried. So we made a list of things we could do to keep ourselves and each other safe. My blog post that month (which shows the list) was Love in … read more »

Are you a doer? When your friends present you with a problem, do you want to jump in and fix it for them? Many of us see a problem and want to solve it, but that’s not always what is needed. Sometimes, we just need a little empathy—at least at first. My dad was a neurologist and a professor. This reminded me that when he died, his students quoted him saying, “Don’t just do something, stand there!” Sometimes, that’s good … read more »

If you’ve been following me for a while, you know that I love music. And I try to connect all of these posts to divorce or conflict resolution. As I’m sure you’ve heard, Roberta Flack died this week. I grew up listening to her music, and love the way she took familiar songs and made them her own, sometimes bending genres to do so, as when she made a hit of Carole King’s song, “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?” … read more »

I was honored to be recently invited to a friend’s 85th birthday party. The hosts asked each of us to bring a story as a gift – perhaps, the invitation suggested, of a “challenge you faced that required you to find your courage.” We heard incredible stories of women organizing to fight Apartheid, moving across continents, facing cancer, or gathering with others in the face of adversity. I talked about my leap of faith in moving from Brooklyn, which I’ve … read more »

I am meeting a couple for the first time on Zoom for their free introductory session where we talk about the structure and logistics of mediation. I want to explain my view of what it means to be neutral. “I don’t see neutrality as some outside objective thing,” I say. “I’m not removed. I want to be there for you,” I continue, looking at one spouse. “And I want to be there for you,” I repeat, looking at the other. … read more »

“What was Jimmy Carter trying to teach us in taking his final bow at this pivotal moment in America?” asked Isabel Wilkerson (author of Caste and The Warmth of Other Suns) on Instagram this week. She answered her question by writing … That there is, in fact, goodness and decency in the world when we fret that there is none. That … people can do great good in the world if they can find their purpose and call. That wise … read more »

As this 1-minute video shows, it can be hard to ask for help from a friend. But it might not be as big an ask as you think. Be there for someone else and they will be there for you. May your 2025 be filled with love, nurturing, and connections (perhaps in 8-minute segments)! … And with JOY! …. Don’t forget to bring the JOY !!

I have no words for what happened this week, so I will just share this photo, which I took Wednesday morning and sent to some friends. One said, “The world is still a beautiful place.” Another said, “The sun rises, and together, we will too.” But I will say that I’ve received several calls this week from LGBT parents about doing second-parent adoptions. If you or someone you know has been putting one off, now’s the time to get moving, … read more »

I was honored to be in a Zoom meeting with Mondaire Jones and Sen. Cory Booker a few nights ago. It was quite powerful to be in an intimate setting with these 2 powerhouses. It really felt like a visit with them both – like we were sitting around a table and talking. Cory talked about The Amen Effect by Rabbi Sharon Brous. He said ‘We are light workers. I want us to be better sharers of light.’ (I love … read more »