#communication

#communication

My late mother made a special Christmas cookie that required tedious decorating, considering each person's personal preference for toppings, and giving them as gifts to family and friends. They always had a place of honor on our family Christmas table. When she was no longer able, she gave me the cookie cutter, and my daughters and I took over the family tradition. It takes the three of us several days to make, bake, decorate, package and mail cookies to family members around the country.

Guts typically refer to "innards," and truth and compassion live at the core of an ever-deepening relationship. Referring to someone as having "guts" typically denotes some measure of bravery. That's also true when a couple commits to truth-telling accompanied by compassion. Revealing what lives at our core takes courage, and expressing it without being offensive demands practice. It is only too easy for a shaming smirk or an amplified tone to hurt the listener.

I'm even surprised by the question. From the outside, people think I'm shy, that I don't talk much. It's probably because I've spoken publicly about my stutter. But people who know me will tell you. I can talk, of course. It's impossible to play for Bayern without talking. Otherwise, my teammates will say to me, 'You're a center-back and you can't even say, 'Is the ball coming?' - Kimmich would tell me straight away.

For many casual partners, flexibility means freedom, and when it comes to commitment, less is more. But in many cases, one of the dating partners begins to develop deeper feelings and a desire to take the relationship to the next level. Not wanting to scare off a noncommitted partner, how does one explore the possibility of permanence? Fortunately, studies have explored the factors that determine whether and when a couple decides to move a relationship to the next level.

The problem is smell. My husband is uncircumcised, which I generally enjoy. But when he pulls back his foreskin, there is often a ghastly scent. I would describe it as mostly urine or "man-musk." I really enjoy going down on him, but this is becoming a huge barrier (and turn off!) for me. I would describe him as very clean. He showers every day. But I guess I'm just not sure how he cleans his shaft?

Exaggeration is often used, sometimes habitually, for two reasons. Some individuals use it as a form of emotional self-expression. Other times it is used to manipulate others. In either circumstance, it leaves others feeling deceived, tricked, manipulated, exploited, and abused. While exaggeration may sometimes be successful at achieving some short-term goals, it causes significant damage to relationships. There are ways of achieving the same short-term goals without hurting others in your life.

Your children's father is putting you in an inappropriate position that, conveniently, clears him of any responsibility for maintaining the relationships in his life. It's much easier, presumably, to believe the narrative that you're not doing enough to make your daughter available to him, rather than acknowledging the truth: He is perfectly capable of dialing his own phone. Tell him and your daughter that you need to remove yourself from their planning.

Once two unique people commit to having their love translate into a meaningful relationship characterized by genuine intimacy, they will need to remain in an apprenticeship of intimacy. There will be no arrival, only the opportunity to make modifications and grow. Emotional intimacy possesses too much that is unknown, as two unique individuals are changing, growing, and unfolding in their own distinctive ways. Let's look closely at the 10 building blocks that comprise the apprenticeship.

We had similar jobs when I started six years ago. During that time, I've had two big promotions, and she has stayed where she is. Her work is well-received, and she always gets positive reviews, so she's frustrated she hasn't been promoted. She asked me to help her figure out what is going on. (When asked, her supervisor didn't give a straight answer, which is typical here.) I think the problem may be how she presents herself. She dresses within the letter of the dress code but more casual than those around her. She takes personal calls within earshot of others and will pop in and out of the office to run errands or pick up her kids from somewhere, and then work from home to make up the time. While technically it is allowed, others don't do this. Only 10% of our job is client-facing, but looking and acting the part is noticed.

I made it clear from the start that I was strictly vers (I need it all) and that I couldn't be in an exclusive bottom/top relationship long-term. However, for one reason or another, I've only bottomed from the start. It was only once he stated that he was, to my surprise, a vers top and interested in exploring bottoming with me that I even opened up to an emotional relationship with him.

We are listening to more than music. In addition to music, SiriusXM, a satellite radio company, provides sports talk, news, talk shows, and podcasts. As of 2024, SiriusXM boasted 150 million listeners. As of 2025, 4,509,765 podcasts have been registered around the world, with Apple alone hosting 2,800,138. In the United States, over 200 million people have listened to a podcast at least once, and 158 million consume podcasts on a monthly basis.

Unmatch, unswipe, un-whatever-you-need-to-do. Yes, things happen; days get unmanageable; kids have minor crises. But the upside of being in this age where we're perpetually reachable at all hours is that when something unexpected happens, we can communicate about it. You're connected to this man through three platforms now text, the old app, and the new app. And yet he couldn't find a way to say the simplest thing on the day of the coffee: I'm not going to make it. I'm sorry for keeping you.

I recently had a small destination wedding in another state. She also eloped around the time of my wedding, but her in-laws don't support her marriage. We were promoted to the same role at the same time, but in different departments. Recently, Bethany texted apologizing "if things got weird," saying she didn't want me to think she was "stealing my thunder," and invited me to lunch. I replied, but she never responded.

A combined 61% of surveyed agents said they feel somewhat positive or very positive about working with builders. Only 14% expressed negative feelings. Why the good vibes? Agents cited builder incentives (27%), smoother transactions with fewer inspection issues (13%), and the belief that builder reps are often easier to work with than resale listing agents (28%). As one respondent put it: Selling new construction is a more straightforward process altogether and has inherent benefits for my buyers that are easy to articulate.

This can start with the question, How are you doing? Sometimes, people in care-giving positions really appreciate an outlet, or a chance to check in with themselves. And, at the other times, caregivers just want to have small talk, or a conversation about anything else. Part of this is between your wife and Beverly. If I were you, I'd resist the urge to tell your wife what to say or not say.

Dr. Tracy Dalgleish, a clinical psychologist and author of "You, Your Husband, and His Mother" (out on November 4), told Business Insider that, in her nearly 20 years of experience, a common theme has been married couples wanting to build stronger relationships with their extended families. More often, daughters-in-law desired to get along better with their mothers-in-law. Dalgleish said women tend to be in charge of communicating and organizing events on behalf of the family.

I think the most prudent thing to do here is to consider what the emotional fallout will be if the same thing were to happen again. You've written your letter in a hypothetical voice without identifying yourself, which is uncommon for this column, but I have a hunch that if you're in this configuration, you're the wife. If that is true, envision what a scenario will be like if your husband follows the same pattern.

Have you ever frustratingly mumbled to your partner that it "must be nice to have a partner who walks the dog" in hopes of them walking the dog more often? Or have you ever sighed that you'll "just do the errands alone" even though you don't want to? Turns out, you may be dry begging, a tool that people use in relationships of all sorts to get their needs met.

In a TikTok with more than 248K likes as of this writing, creator Davide De Pierro discusses how one of his dating rules is that his female partner shouldn't make new male friends. She's allowed to have male friends... as long as they met before the relationship started. Making new ones while committed? Not allowed. Many of us know the feeling: a friend drifting away because their partner isn't comfortable, or trying to chat with someone platonically, only to be reminded, "I'm taken."

It will be frustrating or worse when our contributions do not seem to be understood, accepted, or appreciated. We are wise to pay attention to how we are being perceived in personal life (e.g., how an in-law regards us as a parent), in professional life (e.g., how an administrator evaluates a project we created), and in community life (e.g., how family or friends react to a speech we present).

They won't help you find the right match. Be careful about using terms that are subjective and relative, like "down to earth," as others may not agree. Phrases such as "make me laugh" can come across as orders when you should be doing something mutually. Instead of indirectly bragging about yourself in a vague manner, use specific examples to show who you are.

My first boss told me, "Don't make the client's problem your problem." I think about that a lot. Come early to work. Gives you time to settle in for the day. Every morning, skim your calendar for the week. Once a week, check your calendar for the month. Double-check all your events and deadlines are properly calendared. The cases are yours, not your legal assistant's.

He had a history of chat: twenty-five years a garrulous Jesuit before his leap to Benedict and the cheese-maker monks, Oka's most unsilent man.