Love, Ice Cream, & My Final Conversation with My Mom

Love, Ice Cream, & My Final Conversation with My Mom

Ten days before she died, we shared one last long conversation filled with laughter, tears, tenderness, and the words that mattered most.

Today, my mom would have turned 82. But she passed away earlier this year, on February 8. On Thursday, January 29, I stayed up late typing up a conversation I’d had with her that night because it felt so meaningful and important.

She’d been diagnosed with terminal brain cancer in mid-November and was receiving hospice care at home. Brain swelling and seizures had affected her ability to move and communicate. I didn’t know that night would be our last extended conversation—the last time she would be able to speak in full sentences, albeit short and slow ones.

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60 Questions to Strengthen Your Relationship or Marriage

60 Questions to Strengthen Your Relationship or Marriage

How often do you create intentional time to ask and answer questions like this in your relationship or marriage? (It really only needs to take 5 to 10 minutes!) What's a favorite memory of us that I may not know means a lot to you? What's something I do that makes you feel loved? What helps you feel more emotionally safe with me?

I love using questions like this when…

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Setting New Year's Resolutions That Stick

Setting New Year's Resolutions That Stick

"I'm the type of person who..." I zoomed into a Washington DC news station last week to discuss how to set New Year's goals or intentions that are sustainable and more likely to succeed. Here are some points to consider—especially if you're the "bah humbug" type about resolutions or if you've struggled to stick to them in the past…

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You Want to Work on Your Marriage but Your Spouse Doesn't

You Want to Work on Your Marriage but Your Spouse Doesn't

It’s not uncommon in long-term relationships for one person to want to work on their relationship, while the other one doesn’t. And at time stamps like the new year and anniversaries, this may feel particularly frustrating. As part of my ongoing “How to Have Hard Conversations” series, I answer a question along these lines.

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10 Relationship Questions for Your Wedding Anniversary

10 Relationship Questions for Your Wedding Anniversary

If you have an upcoming relationship or wedding anniversary, check out this list of relationship questions. I was talking to a couple recently about their upcoming 5-year wedding anniversary, and I suggested a reflection and growth activity for their anniversary dinner. We then brainstormed a list of 10 questions, with the intent to cultivate…

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Dr. Jenn Helps Women Cultivate Mindful Sexual Empowerment

Dr. Jenn Helps Women Cultivate Mindful Sexual Empowerment

Why does sexual empowerment matter for women? How did I get started on this career path? I was recently interviewed by DatingNews.com about my sexual empowerment work and career path, and what messages are most important for women to learn about their bodies, sexual expression, and self-worth….

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