And I stopped and thought about how these traditions come and stay. About how generations of children have celebrated religious heritages with bar/bat mitzvahs and christenings and baptism parties; about how American girls have Sweet Sixteen’s and how Latin girls have Quince’s. About weddings. And how these events occur just once in a lifetime. Once or twice in a family.

I was thinking the other day (No cracks from my friends please.) about the subtle differences between words that are commonly used, sometimes not used or mis-used. Let me give you an example. I'm sorry. This simple two word sentence can be interpreted so many ways and have so many different meanings for both the person who speaks them and the person who they are directed toward.

An animated greeting card from the internet can make your loved ones feel loved, cared and surprised. It can make difference and both of you can never forget this moment aside from sending your own personal gift.

In any form of relationships you or your partner or other family members are seen making mistakes and asking for forgiveness and then being excused for faults and mistakes is a part of life. But at times your partner makes such mistakes that you find it difficult to forgive. Especially in a married life when one of the partners hurts your feelings badly you find it hard to forgive.

A few months ago, I received an invitation in the mail. When I examined it, I discovered that it was an invitation to my best friend’s parent’s 50th wedding anniversary party. I have known my best friend and her family for almost 35 years, as a result I have become very close with them.

For just a few moments a day, stop the rush and contemplate the following questions? Is my mindset supporting a loving relationship? How do I really feel? Am I coming from anger or frustration, and therefore so determined to “make it” the way I want it, that I can’t appreciate it the way that it is?

There is a big difference between pain and suffering. Pain is when you cut your hand. You don’t worry about your hand if you know it will get better. Suffering is when you’re not sure that your hand will heal, and you worry about what is going to happen. In relationship, pain comes and goes, and this is normal. Suffering in relationship comes when you hold back love because you are worried about whether your relationship will survive the pain.

The real problem with bad relationships is not that we have them because, unfortunately, most people do. The real problem of bad relationships is the amount of time we remain in the relationship when we knew long ago that we should have left and the continuing amount of time we allow ourselves to be emotionally in prison for something that was not worthwhile to begin with. This is not isolated to just women or just men. If it is isolated to any specific group, it is human beings. We all deal with the same things, although at the time we feel like we are the only person in the world to feel the type of pain and emptiness that we feel. There are endless number of tips and techniques that people offer in dealing getting over relationships and I am sure there is a time and a place for them all. There is no one thing that will make it any easier, so I would say understanding that is the first step. Although there is not one quick and easy fix, there are things that I think work better than others.

How can you tell if he or she is the one for you. Here are some straight forward guidelines to help you know when to walk away and when to fall in love.

When you were dating you carved out time for each other, no matter the pressures of everyday life. You could not fall in love without that time together. This begs the question; don’t you think to sustain that love that you must also make time for one another even now?

Do lovers wear masks in front of their beloved or is the society influencing the negative thoughts of the generation in love. As soon as you dare to leave your ex-beloved, revenge replaces love ... and sometimes, literally. What makes former lovers violent with their once-beloveds?

Most couples are looking for a happy relationship. Happiness is a state of mind that makes a person content. Happy couples have the key that enhances a solid relationship. Happy couples genuinely love and respect each other. Their attitudes towards one another and the way they communicate are a key to their successful relationship.

Many men in relationships might find themselves in situations similar to that of Kevin Spacey’s character Lester Burnham in American Beauty. Somewhere along the way after meeting a woman who you thought made you happy, you ended up making sacrifice after sacrifice. Now, you live day to day numb to reality because you have allowed it to take so much. Your only hope in life is for it all too just end and the sooner the better.

Everyone is quite familiar with the problem of physical and verbal abuse in relationships. It sometimes seems to be running rampant in today’s society. These relationship demons are very difficult to deal with and produce such a large amount of pain and suffering. However, there is another form of abuse does not seem to be given the attention that it warrants. This is emotional abuse...

After providing the list for CDs to rent and provide entertainment while you drown yourself in tears, blankets, and chocolates, here is the list of movies (no doubt a lengthier one) that you shouldn’t be getting near at.

Life in the fast lane means there are hardly any opportunities to meet Mr. Right or your dream date. The dating scenario has rapidly progressed to include online dating, speed dating, dating events, and of course the old faithful an evening at the local watering hole or bar.

Have you ever wondered just what makes another family member tick? They probably wonder just the same about you! With personality profiling you can discover how to improve any relationship.

You are rated for your communication skills when you are a good speaker as well as a good listener. A good conversation is the one that lets both parties get equal amount of time to speak. And when someone else is speaking, you have got to listen otherwise you will never be able to assess their opinions.

Use this little known secret to attract men into your life!

But one thing is for certain, finding that person rather than settling for someone less than what we are wanting is never good. Okay, that is my opinion, but think about it for a minute. If we have high standards and certain specifications to meet our needs, in the long run aren’t we robbing ourselves of happiness if we choose badly or settle for less than what we want?

The heart has been discredited for too long for what it does not generate; feelings of infatuation.

Communication is the key to any relationship. With bad communication, problems crop up at unexpected places. This is a classical case. I am feeling very hurt because of what you said. When did I say that?

Part of the beauty and the frustration of any partnership is the difference.

Finally an answer to the million dollar question. Why do women date jerks? The answer to this question is actually a lot more complicated than one might think. We are going to have to blame Mother Nature for this seemingly illogical behavior.

Some of the best lessons come directly from the counseling office. Here's some of the wisdom my clients are sending you this week: 5 things to avoid, and 5 things to do in relationships.