Salee Reese

Who’s Running Things, Anyway?

“The inmates are running the asylum.” Mary, a teacher, was referring to our culture’s epidemic of overindulged kids. She and many other teachers are seeing the evidence of overindulgence in the classroom every day. According to Jean Illsley Clarke, Connie Dawson and David Bredehoff in their book, How Much Is Enough? Overindulgence isn’t merely “about […]

You Always Hurt the One You Love

Walls go up around the heart when we’re treated harshly. Eventually, bitterness replaces the tender love that was once there.  Claire was starting to feel that way toward her husband, Joe, when she sought my help. “He’s constantly critical and demeaning to me!” she said. “It has to change! I’m too miserable to have it […]

Thoughts of Suicide

In my previous post, Banished from Her Mother’s Heart, I talked about Michelle, who was dealing with her mom’s rejection. In this post, I want to introduce you to Scott. Like Michelle, he marched to the beat of his own drum, and likewise suffered rejection, primarily from his dad. Scott’s gay, and his father couldn’t […]

Banished from her Mother’s Heart

“Your mother is good for you,” I said. “Her disapproval is forcing you to become immune to disapproving attitudes. Unbeknownst to her, she’s stretching you to become self-accepting and to believe in yourself.” Michele followed the beat of her own drum, and her family shunned her for it—especially her mother. Parental disapproval, at any age, can […]