My college English professor was a hard grader. One February day I received a B-minus on a research paper. In hopes of  bettering my grade, I sent her a Valentine’s Day card with the inscription: “BE MINE.” The following day, I  received a valentine from the teacher. It read: “Thank you, but it’s still BE MINE-US.”                                    ... [read more]

  A strong relationship is founded on communication and sharing.  So how much do you know about your partner or spouse?  Try these simple questions — the more you can honestly answer “yes” to, the firmer ground you’re on:  I know who my partner’s best friends are. I can describe my partner’s greatest ambition. I can name my partner’s favorite singer or musical group. My partner appreciates the things I do for... [read more]

In 1844, Robert Browning was an unknown poet and playwright when he first read Elizabeth Barrett’s volume of poetry titled Poems. He was 32 years old. Elizabeth was a well-known poet– and invalid. She was 39 years old. Robert was so moved by her poetry that he wrote to her, “ I love your verses with all my heart, dear miss Barrett..” The two of them commenced writing more than 600 letters to each other during the next 20 months. Elizabeth had suffered since the... [read more]