Many people wish they had better things to say about their love life. Unfortunately, it's been marred by everything from cheating exes to dates who misrepresented themselves online. You would think that they've simply been unlucky -- that is, until these telling words come out of their mouths: "I've just had just a hard time finding the perfect person." See, therein lies the problem. It's not really about being plagued by misfortune. It's the fact that the person is after something that doesn't exist in relationships: perfection. If a person intends to wait until they find that "perfect" man or woman, then they'll be waiting until they die. That means they're willing to subject themselves to a life of unmet expectations and disappointments -- all in the vain hope that a flawless partner will eventually surface. In a real relationship, two imperfect people accept one another for who they are -- aggravating flaws and o...

There are people in our lives who couldn't be bothered to pick up the phone and call or text us, no matter how many messages we've left for them. Chasing after them sends the message that, in spite of their cool detachment, you're going to continue pressing them for a response. Essentially, you're rewarding them for their unseemly behavior. Do they really deserve this special treatment? Absolutely not! If you've done your part to try to get in touch, the ball is in their court. Make it clear that you have your own priorities to worry about and that your world doesn't revolve around them. If taking a stand spells the end of that relationship, so be it. Your time will be much better spent on people who show an interest in you and make a conscious effort to maintain contact. Getting the cold shoulder from our partner, a friend, or a relative can be quite painful and perplexing, especially if it's someone we were once very close to. But just like t...

About a month ago, my wife had to have gallbladder surgery. Thankfully, it was caught early and she has since recovered nicely. I remember saying something at the hospital along the lines of ..."well, I've never had to be hospitalized for anything myself." It looks like I forgot to knock on that wood. Just three weeks later, I found myself getting checked out in the hospital for what turned out to be a gas/constipation issue that nagged me for over a week. I've always had a strong stomach, seldom complaining of any digestive problems over the years. I can only assume that eating meat for five consecutive days, coupled with stress I'd been under lately, were the likely culprits. Isn't it bizarre how we can jinx ourselves in this way? We say that something hasn't happened for a long time -- say, we haven't gotten a cold, been summoned for jury duty, or broken an ankle -- and bam, it happens. It's as if someone out in the ether hears us ...