Coffee with Friends

Most days I stop at the Starbucks on the way to work because the drive is about 30 minutes from the hotel. I stop there because I have coffee with friends when I do. Well, I am still using a gift card given me by friends. When I order the coffee, give the gift card, and accept the coffee I think of those friends. I miss them because keeping friends is an important element in life. Having been career military I learned how to let go of friends and make new ones on the short term. Now I feel like I've missed something. So, all you friends out there, I think of you often -- especially when I drink that great coffee. Maybe there is something important here. Whether it is "FaceBook" or "My Space" technology has given us a way to stay connected like never before. Stay connected. And, hey, a phone call would be cool once in awhile, I'm sure those friends would like to hear your voice not only read your notes. Just a little friendly advice. Oh, send me your phone number and we can actually hear one another's voices. Oh, man, the memories of friends are flooding back. Dr. D.

Marriages Under Attack

I know that I am posted at Moody Air Force Base to focus on relational challenges. But airmen are able to come to me "off the record" for any distressors in their lives. However, I must tell you that married military members (Army, Air Force, Navy, Marines, and National Guard) are being challenged at the hearts of their relationships. Constant absences, poor money management, too little income for growing families, shifting marital roles, dual working parents; ALL of these often bombard military families at the same time. One of the negative results is the end of these families. Which does not heal the suffering, only increases it. SOLVING the distress does decrease the stress while running from it does not. Even though (y)our marriages and families may not be bombarded like military families, there is something here to learn. Solving distresses resolves them without destroying the relationships. Try it. Dr. D.

Crisis

A crisis is not just "in the eye of the beholder." That is, it is only a crisis for the one having the crisis. A personal crisis often involves others whether in support of that person or to avoid that person or maybe to have created the crisis FOR that person. It is humbling to me to know that the airmen whom I serve will come to me with their personal crisis even though they do not know me and I will be gone in 45 days. I think you would be awed by the experience. When we are asking our military to serve at great danger to themselves and their families, I believe it is important that we support them with the personal crises that often accompany living. The young man, married ten years, feeling his marriage fall apart, longs for the assistance that will prevent that. I pray that the preservation he wants will be found in my office. It's okay if he finds it somewhere else also. But if he makes his way to me, I want him to find what he needs. If I ask him to go into combat I must be there for him when he needs me. Dr. D.

No Followers No Comments

So they tell me that blogs are for dialog. Not this one I guess. If you frequent my blog to follow my adventures and keep focus on good relationships, how about telling me what you think and lets get a dialog going among visitors and get a strong group of followers going. I look forward to knowing who is coming along for the ride. You know, if you talk and talk and talk and you don't know if your partner is listening. Well, you know what I mean. Dr. D.