Love

The Relationship Ferris Wheel: Part 4

This is the first part of a five-part series designed to help you build the intimate relationship you’ve always wanted. Though the process is primarily used in-person by a graphic facilitator, you can use the series and the accompanying handout to do it yourself, following along with the posts. It was developed by Martin Haussmann, …

Continue Reading
Love

The Relationship Ferris Wheel Part 3

This is the first part of a five-part series designed to help you build the intimate relationship you’ve always wanted. Though the process is primarily used in-person by a graphic facilitator, you can use the series and the accompanying handout to do it yourself, following along with the posts. It was developed by Martin Haussmann, …

Continue Reading
Love

The Relationship Ferris Wheel Part 2

The Relationship Ferris Wheel series is an exercise you can do individually or with your partner designed to help you move towards a more intimate relationship. You should read the introduction, and then Part 1, and maybe download the worksheet, before reading this post.  Now that you’ve got a long list of the qualities of your …

Continue Reading
Love

The Relationship Ferris Wheel Part 1: Building the Foundation

Alright, now you have your pen and your paper (and maybe the printout) and you’re all set to create your own Relationship Ferris wheel. Just so you’re aware, this exercise is going to “build” the structure all the way from basic foundations out through the supports and finally into fun little swinging seats of direct …

Continue Reading
Love

The Relationship Ferris Wheel (Introduction)

This is the first part of a five-part series over the next few weeks describing a process used primarily in graphic facilitation. It was developed by Martin Haussmann, one of the founding members of the Kommunikationslotsen consultancy, a German firm that created the bikablo technique. Relax. That doesn’t mean you have to draw. It also doesn’t …

Continue Reading
Love

Rest Stops on the Relationship Road

Breakups are hard. Even good breakups are difficult — the ones where you both say “hey, this really isn’t working, let’s stop wasting time and energy and it’s agreed upon. Because any relationship that has ventured far enough into intimacy to where a break-up is possible did so with the hope of something. A hope …

Continue Reading
Love

The Boundaries of Love

This is one of those trick titles – click bait, of a sort – that bloggers come up with so they can pull an “ah-ha!” later. The truth is, way back in high school, reading too much Richard Bach and Leo Buscaglia and Alan Watts and late-era Robert Heinlein, I came up with the idea …

Continue Reading
Love

Should We Take a Break? Or Have a Fight?

My parents are wonderful, but there’s one key area where they let me down in my development. They never fought. I’m pretty sure this is not because they never disagreed, but rather due to some sort of “Not in front of the children mentality. I understand that motive; seeing parents argue or even fight (I’m …

Continue Reading
Love

How to Marry Well

Once again I am letting my personal life dictate the direction of my writing. Tomorrow my middle daughter is exchanging wedding vows with her partner of many years. It’s a triumph in many ways. There’s the simple joy of “My daughter survived long enough to fall in love and get married, and the larger triumph …

Continue Reading
Love

Why I Love Natasha

Full disclosure: this is a birthday post for my partner. I’m pretty sure I say some stuff that is somewhat generally relevant, but the post is pretty much for her, so feel free to skim or skip. There’s an old toast that goes something like this: Here’s to the women! We adore them for their …

Continue Reading