Gender differences in COVID‐19‐related stress and relationships with life satisfaction among financial advisors – Tharp – 2021 – FINANCIAL PLANNING REVIEW
The present study examines differences in male and female financial advisors’ work-related stress and life satisfaction since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Previous research has identified gender differences in satisfaction among men and women in the financial advisory industry (Pasztor et al., 2019). Furthermore, gender differences have been observed among advisors with respect to compensation (Tharp et al., 2019), family characteristics such as divorce (Lurtz et al., 2020), and the interrelations between income and family characteristics that likely stem from the differing household burdens faced by male and female advisors (Tharp et al., 2021). The COVID-19 pandemic presented an exogenous shock to both the work and family contexts in which financial advisors operate. Therefore, the COVID-19 pandemic provided a unique opportunity to examine how the changing circumstances associated with COVID-19 may be differently related with financial advisor stress and life satisfaction by gender.
We use a survey that began 5 months after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Consistent with social role theory (Eagly, 1987; Eagly et al., 2000) we observe gender differences in work-related stress since the onset of COVID-19, particularly with respect to stress from managing family responsibilities and witnessing the impact of COVID-19 on an advisor’s clients. We interpret this latter finding as suggestive evidence of potential gender differences in affective empathy among financial advisors, which could be implied from prior research (Schulte-Rüther et al., 2008), but has not been empirically tested in this population. Additionally, using an integrative model of top-down and bottom-up influences on life satisfaction, we found that COVID-19-related stress was associated with life satisfaction among women but not men.
In this study, we make several contributions to the existing literature. First, we provide new insight into the literature on gender differences in measures of professional and life outcomes among financial advisors, particularly with respect to subjective measures of advisor wellbeing. Consistent with Pasztor et al. (2019), we found gender differences in satisfaction assessment1 among men and women that are consistent with greater challenges faced by women within the industry. This study also provides new insight into gender differences in family-related challenges for financial advisors. Consistent with Tharp et al. (2021), we found that family responsibilities outside of the home may result in different outcomes for men and women within the financial advisory industry. In particular, this study presents the first empirical evidence on gender differences in work-related stress among advisors resulting from a shock such as COVID-19. Additionally, findings from this study are relevant to theoretical considerations regarding satisfaction assessment, and we employ models consistent with the most recent developments in the personality literature (e.g., see Heller et al., 2004; Tharp et al., 2020). This study presents the first evidence, to our knowledge, of the top-down influence of personality—in particular trait positive and trait negative affect—on advisor satisfaction assessment. In the present study, we define trait affect (also known as dispositional affect or positive and negative affectivity; Kaplan et al., 2009) as enduring trait-like positive and negative emotional dispositions, rather than momentary feelings of positive or negative emotion. Our findings related to the importance of trait affect as top-down predictor of satisfaction are consistent with integrative models of satisfaction assessment (Heller et al., 2004; Tharp et al., 2020; Tharp & Parks-Stamm, 2021a) and have important theoretical implications for future research on financial advisor satisfaction assessment.
2 RELATED LITERATURE
2.1 Gender differences in COVID-19-related stress
The first purpose of the present study is to examine whether the female financial advisors in our sample have experienced a disproportionate increase in stress from the COVID-19 crisis. International research on this topic suggests that women have experienced greater increases in stress than men since the onset of the COVID-19 (Mazza et al., 2020). Representative survey data from the U.S. and the U.K. have also demonstrated a negative effect of the pandemic on well-being, which has been disproportionately driven by women (Adams-Prassl et al., 2020; Etheridge & Spantig, 2020).
Why would women experience a greater increase in stress in response to the COVID-19 pandemic? First, women may be disproportionately affected by an increase in domestic responsibilities. Most research suggests the crisis has increased women’s family responsibilities (Andrew et al., 2020), although some (e.g., Carlson et al., 2020) have found stay-at-home orders have led to a more egalitarian division of domestic responsibilities between couples, with more men increasing their share of family responsibilities than women. Conflicting results have also been found regarding whether women’s greater increase in family responsibilities is responsible for gender differences in well-being reductions since the onset of COVID-19. Whereas Etheridge and Spantig (2020) found that controlling for time spent on housework and childcare reduced the gender gap in well-being, Adams-Prassl et al. (2020) found it did not. Although gender disparities in domestic responsibilities typically increase upon the birth of the first child (Baxter et al., 2008), childcare is not solely responsible for gender differences in family responsibilities—large and significant gender differences in household labor exist among couples without children as well (e.g., Craig et al., 2016). The present research explores this question among financial advisors by asking male and female financial advisors the extent to which family or other responsibilities outside the workplace has been a stressor for them since the onset of COVID-19.
Secondly, both cultural stereotypes (Plant et al., 2000) and prior research suggests that women have greater empathy than men (Christov-Moore et al., 2014; Lennon & Eisenberg, 1987; Schulte-Rüther et al., 2008; Toussaint & Webb, 2005). Affective empathy (also known as empathic concern or sympathy), as an other-focused emotion, is an important component of social–emotional health (Cassels et al., 2010; de Wied et al., 2007) and is correlated with positive outcomes like prosocial behavior (Batson et al., 1988; Eisenberg et al., 1989), relationship quality (Andreychik, 2019), subjective well-being (Wei et al., 2011), and life satisfaction (Grühn et al., 2008). Past research has found the perceived empathy of salespeople in the banking industry predicted customers’ relationship quality ratings (Itani & Inyang, 2015), and thus may be an important quality for financial advisors. Along with these positive correlates of empathy, researchers have warned of potential costs. Koesten (2005) cautioned that financial advisors who engage with a high degree of empathy are at risk of suffering from stress and burnout. In the present survey, we examine gender differences in financial advisors’ experienced stress from the impact of COVID-19 on their clients as a measure of empathy.
2.2 Theoretical basis for gender differences in COVID-19-related stress
Social role theory (Eagly, 1987; Eagly et al., 2000) provides a basis for anticipating gender differences in COVID-19-related stress among men and women. Social role theory posits that gendered distributions of men and women within different social roles in society lead to behavioral differences between men and women. In particular, men and women may face different rewards (or punishments) for behaviors that are congruent (or incongruent) with societal expectations. Two of the most prominent social roles observed are men as breadwinners and women as homemakers (Eagly et al., 2000). These two roles guide young men’s and women’s decisions even before marriage or families are formed; for example, a recent study showed both undergraduate students and working adults show strong gender differences in reported preferences to be a breadwinner (Tharp & Parks-Stamm, 2021b). Gender roles—based on societal pressures—can then provide a lens through which men and women differently evaluate the social environments in which they operate. For instance, societal pressure for women to be the primary homemaker could lead women to feel a greater burden (and corresponding stress) when facing an exogenous shock that creates new family-related burdens or obligations for a household (e.g., disruptions in childcare or needing to homeschool children). Similarly, given the societal pressure for men to be breadwinners, men may experience greater stress associated with a shock to one’s income, which is consistent with prior research which has found that male advisors are motivated by compensation to a greater extent than female advisors (Tharp et al., 2019).
Guided by social role theory, this study first examines the following research questions:
- Q1: Do men and women differ in changes to their work-related stress since the onset of COVID-19?
- Q2: Do men and women differ in the extent to which working outside of their normal office has been a stressor?
- Q3: Do men and women differ in the extent to which reduced revenue or income has been a stressor for them?
- Q4: Do men and women differ in the extent to which managing family or other responsibilities outside of the workplace has been a stressor for them?
- Q5: Do men and women differ in the extent to which the impact of COVID-19 on their clients has been a stressor for them?
2.3 Gender differences in the relationship between COVID-19-related stress and life satisfaction
The second purpose of this study is to examine relationships between COVID-19-related work-stress and life satisfaction among financial advisors in our sample, and whether it is moderated by gender. COVID-19-related work stressors have been found to be related to workers’ overall life satisfaction (Kumar et al., 2021). However, both qualitative (Hennekam & Shymko, 2020) and quantitative research conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic has further found gender differences in coping with the stress of the pandemic, with implications for individuals’ life satisfaction (Kowal et al., 2020; Li et al., 2021). Researchers have highlighted the potential for women to face more negative impacts to their well-being than men as a result of stressors caused by the pandemic (Milliken et al., 2020). The present study therefore examines the relationships between our COVID-19-related stress scale and both men’s and women’s life satisfaction, with the prediction that women will experience greater impacts from COVID-19-related stressors on their well-being.
2.4 Theoretical basis for gender differences in the relationship between COVID-19-related stress and life satisfaction
Theorists have posited two broad influences on life satisfaction assessment: bottom-up (i.e., situational) influences and top-down (i.e., dispositional) influences. Initially bottom-up influences—that is, one’s objective life circumstances—were presumed to be the factors most relevant to life satisfaction. However, these models did not perform as well as anticipated, and top-down factors—that is, enduring temperamental tendencies toward satisfaction or dissatisfaction—were also considered. Whereas both perspectives have seen empirical support (Brief et al., 1993), Heller et al. (2004) found that an integrative model of both bottom-up and top-down influences performed best of all.
Bottom-up influences include life circumstances that may influence one’s life satisfaction, such as income, marriage, and employment (Heller et al., 2004). In the context of the present study, COVID-19-related stress is conceptualized as a bottom-up influence on life satisfaction given that it is the result of one’s experiences and circumstances rather than an enduring disposition toward or against feelings of satisfaction. Again consistent with social role theory perspectives (Eagly, 1987; Eagly et al., 2000), one’s satisfaction with life is, in part, influenced by the congruence between their life circumstances and social expectations, at least so long as we presume that individuals derive positive utility from such congruence (i.e., iconoclasts, for instance, may derive satisfaction from defying social expectations). Because social expectations can vary considerably by gender, we posit that the relationships between COVID-19-related stress and life satisfaction may be moderated by gender.
Top-down influences on life satisfaction include enduring dispositions toward or against feelings of being satisfied (Heller et al., 2004). Top-down influences are generally operationalized as personality traits such as the Big Five traits (Heller et al., 2004; Tharp et al., 2020) or trait positive/negative affect (Tharp et al., 2020; Tharp & Parks-Stamm, 2021a). Trait affect has been found to be a stronger predictor of satisfaction than Big Five traits (Tharp et al., 2020). In the context of considering potential candidates for top-down influences on satisfaction assessment, it is important to distinguish between trait and state forms of constructs such as affect. While the trait form of affect is suitable as an enduring influence on satisfaction assessment (see Watson & Clark, 1999; Tharp et al., 2020 for further psychometric validation of trait affect), state (i.e., momentary) affect would not be.
Integrative models of life satisfaction assessment account for both bottom-up and top-down influences simultaneously. Prior studies have found that integrative models of satisfaction assessment perform better than both models that consider only top-down or bottom-up influences (Heller et al., 2004). In the present study, we use an integrative model (see Figure 1) of life satisfaction assessment to examine the following research question:
- Q6: Is the relationship between COVID-19-related stress and life satisfaction moderated by gender?
Integrative model of top-down and bottom-up influences on life satisfaction with COVID-19-related stress moderated by gender
The data for this study come from the 2020 Kitces Research Advisor Wellbeing Study (AWS). The AWS was conducted from late August through October of 2020. The survey was conducted through the Kitces.com website, which is a website that provides continuing education content for financial advisors. In addition to detailed information regarding financial advisors, their practices, and their clients, the focus of the AWS was on financial advisor wellbeing and covered a number of topics related to wellbeing. The survey took 20–25 min to complete, and participants had an option to stop and complete their survey at a later time if needed. Participants were promised a copy of survey results as an incentive for participating in the study. Participants were primarily recruited via the surveys sent to Kitces.com members, an August 31st blog post posted on the Kitces.com website, and posts on social media websites, including Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter. Prompts on the Kitces.com website also encouraged readers to participate in the AWS. In total, 499 financial advisors were included in this analysis.2
3.2 Gender differences in COVID-19 related stress
Gender differences between men and women on COVID-19-related stress measures (Research Questions 1–5) are assessed using individual items from the COVID-19-related stress scale described in §3.4.1. Because this scale is also used within the regression analyses related to Research Question 6, we present the scale with the rest of the regression measures below.
3.3 Dependent variable for regression analyses
3.3.1 Life satisfaction
Life satisfaction was operationalized using a three-item scale from Su et al.’s (2014) Comprehensive Inventory of Thriving. Participants were presented with three prompts to respond to using a Likert-type response ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree). Mean values were computed only for individuals who responded to all three items (a = 0.88). Specifically, respondents were given the following prompts:
- In most ways my life is close to ideal.
- I am satisfied with my life.
- My life is going well.
3.4 Independent variables for regression analyses
3.4.1 Bottom-up predictors of life satisfaction
The key independent variable in this study, COVID-19-related stress, was operationalized using a scale created from five Likert-type prompts ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 7 (strongly agree). Mean values were computed only for individuals who responded to all five items (a = 0.80). Specifically, respondents were given the following prompts:
- Since the onset of COVID-19, my work-related stress has increased.
- Working outside of my normal office has been a stressor for me.
- Reduced revenue/income has been a stressor for me.
- Managing family or other responsibilities outside of the workplace has been a stressor for me.
- The impact of COVID-19 on my clients has been a stressor for me.
Demographic characteristics in this study included age, age squared, and marital status. Age squared was included due to the u-shaped pattern that has been observed in prior research between age and life satisfaction (De Ree & Alessie, 2011).3
Work-related characteristics in this study included income and hours worked. Both income (Frijters et al., 2004) and hours worked (Schröder, 2020) have been found to be associated with life satisfaction.4 Specifically, income was operationalized using the prompt “Over the past 12 months, how much would you estimate for each of the following: … Your total net income for all activities as a financial advisor (net of all payouts and expenses)” and hours worked was operationalized using the question “On average, approximately how many hours per week do you work?”
3.4.2 Top-down predictors of life satisfaction
Trait positive and negative affect
Watson and Clark’s (1999) 10-item measures of general positive and negative affect were used to operationalize trait positive and negative affect in this study. Consistent with responses measuring trait (i.e., enduring or dispositional) affect versus state (i.e., momentary) affect, the question stem “In general, I feel…” was used (Watson & Clark, 1999). Responses ranged from 1 (very slightly or not at all) to 5 (extremely). General positive affect adjectives included active, alert, attentive, enthusiastic, excited, inspired, interested, proud, strong, and determined (a = 0.90). General negative affect adjectives included afraid, scared, nervous, jittery, guilty, ashamed, irritable, hostile, upset, and distressed (a = 0.86). The full PANAS-X measuring facets of affect other than the general positive affect and general negative affect was not administered to respondents in the survey used for this study.
4.1 Descriptive statistics
Descriptive statistics for all variables used within this study are reported in Table 1. Consistent with financial advisory industry demographics, the sample was disproportionately male (75.4% in this sample versus 76.8% among CFP professionals; CFP Board, n.d.). Gender differences were observed in marital status, with women being more likely to be single (9.8% vs. 4.8%), less likely to be married or in a domestic partnership (76.4% vs. 91.0%), and more likely to be divorced, separated, or widowed (13.8% vs. 4.3%). The differences in marital status observed are largely consistent with prior research on gender differences in marital status among financial advisors (Lurtz et al., 2020).
Sample characteristics (n = 499)
|Men (n = 376)||Women (n = 123)||Gender difference|
|COVID-19 related stressors|
|Work-related stress increased||—||4.55||1.76||1||7||—||5.08||1.73||1||7||**|
|Working outside of office||—||3.36||2.00||1||7||—||3.50||2.16||1||7|
|Impact of COVID on clients||—||4.38||1.73||1||7||—||4.77||1.64||1||7||*|
|COVID-related stress scale||—||3.85||1.40||1||7||—||4.18||1.43||1||7||*|
|Married or domestic partnership||91.0%||—||—||—||—||76.4%||—||—||—||—|
|Divorced, separated, or widowed||4.3%||—||—||—||—||13.8%||—||—||—||—|
- Note: Group differences are reported based on independent sample t-tests assuming unequal variances for life satisfaction, COVID-related stress scale, log income, hours worked, age, positive affect, and negative affect; Mann–Whitney U tests for COVID-19 related stressors; and chi-square test of homogeneity for marital status.
p < 0.05;
p < 0.01;
p < 0.001.
As can be seen in Table 1, respondents reported varying levels of COVID-19-related stress. One-sample t tests comparing reported mean COVID-19-related stress against a neutral midpoint of four on a seven-point scale are reported in Table 2. On average, both men and women reported agreeing that work-related stress has increased since the onset of COVID-19 and both men and women reported agreeing that the impact of COVID-19 on clients has been a stressor for them. In contrast, both men and women reported disagreeing that working outside of their normal office has been a stressor for them and both men and women reported disagreeing that reduced revenue or income since the onset of COVID-19 has been a stressor for them. Women but not men agreed that managing family or other responsibilities outside of the workplace since the onset of COVID-19 has been a stressor. Mean levels for men but not women were significantly below the midpoint (i.e., disagreement) on the COVID-19-related stress scale.5
T-tests of COVID-19-related stress versus a neutral response by gender
|Men (n = 376)||Women (n = 123)|
|Work-related stress increased||6.043||***||6.951||***|
|Working outside of office||−6.195||***||−2.543||*|
|Impact of COVID-19 on clients||4.215||***||5.211||***|
|COVID-19-related stress scale||−2.041||*||1.414|
- Note: This table reports one-sample t-tests between mean values by gender and a neutral value of four on a seven-point scale.
p < 0.05;
p < 0.01;
p < 0.001.
4.2 Gender differences in COVID-19 related stress
Women reported experiencing higher levels of work-related stress increase than men due to COVID-19 (Q1), higher levels of stress from managing family and other responsibilities outside of the workplace since the onset of COVID-19 (Q4), and higher levels of stress due to the impact COVID-19 has had on their clients (Q5). Gender differences were not observed with respect to stress resulting from working outside of their normal office (Q2) or reduced revenue or income (Q3). As noted above, mean levels of these two items were below the midpoint of the scale, indicating that working outside the normal office and revenue or income were not perceived to be stressors.
4.3 Regression results
To address Research Question 6, ordinal logistic regression results using the COVID-19-related stress scale are reported for Model 1 (pooled sample), Model 2 (men), and Model 3 (women) in Table 3. Results from similar models using each COVID-19-related stress item rather than the scale are reported for Model 4 (pooled sample), Model 5 (men), and Model 6 (women) in Table 4. While we use ordinal logistic regression within the current analysis to best reflect the ordered nature of our dependent variable, the direction and significance of relationships observed were largely consistent using ordinary least squares regression.6
Ordinal logistic regression results predicting life satisfaction using COVID-related stress scale
|Model 1||Model 2||Model 3|
|COVID-related stress scale||−0.359||0.699**||0.124||−0.118||0.889||0.076||−0.309||0.734*||0.135|
|Male × COVID-related stress scale||0.217||1.242||0.138||—||—||—||—||—|
|Male (vs. Female)||−1.061||0.346†||0.605||—||—||—||—||—|
|Divorced, separated, or widowed (ref.)||—||—||—||—||—||—||—||—||—|
|Likelihood ratio χ2 (d.f.)||222.15(11)***||186.56(9)***||50.19(9)***|
- Note: Results are reported for ordered logistic regression predicting life satisfaction.
p < 0.05;
p < 0.01;
p < 0.001;
p < 0.1.
Ordinal logistic regression results predicting life satisfaction using individual COVID-related stress items
|Model 4||Model 5||Model 6|
|Work-related stress increased||−0.326||0.722*||0.132||−0.026||0.975||0.078||−0.350||0.704*||0.137|
|Working outside of office||0.155||1.168||0.096||−0.081||0.923||0.063||0.208||1.231*||0.101|
|Impact of COVID on clients||0.267||1.306*||0.122||0.025||1.026||0.075||0.286||1.331*||0.126|
|Male × Work-related stress increased||0.296||1.344†||0.153||—||—||—||—||—||—|
|Male × Working outside of office||−0.239||0.788*||0.115||—||—||—||—||—||—|
|Male × Reduced revenue/income||0.241||1.272*||0.112||—||—||—||—||—||—|
|Male × Family responsibilities||0.160||1.174||0.114||—||—||—||—||—||—|
|Male × Impact of COVID on clients||−0.237||0.789†||0.142||—||—||—||—||—||—|
|Male (vs. Female)||−1.171||0.310†||0.688||—||—||—||—||—|
|Divorced, separated, or widowed (ref.)||—||—||—||—||—||—||—||—||—|
|Likelihood ratio χ2 (d.f.)||240.54(19)***||187.81(13)***||68.55(13)***|
- Note: Results are reported for ordinal logistic regression predicting life satisfaction.
p < 0.05;
p < 0.01;
p < 0.001;
p < 0.1.
4.3.1 Model 1
The results of Model 1 (pooled, COVID-stress scale) were significant. A direct negative relationship was observed between the COVID-19-related stress scale and life satisfaction.7 Other factors associated with life satisfaction included hours worked, being married rather than divorced, separated, or widowed, trait positive affect, and trait negative affect. Neither age nor age squared were significant.8 The anticipated interaction was not significant. However, gender differences in the COVID-19-related stress scale as a predictor of life satisfaction were observed when regressions were run independently for men and women in Models 2 and 3.
4.3.2 Model 2
The results of Model 2 (men, COVID-stress scale) were significant. Among men, a significant relationship between the COVID-19-related stress scale and life satisfaction was not observed. Factors associated with life satisfaction at a level of p < 0.1 or less included hours worked, being married rather than divorced, separated, or widowed, being single rather than divorced, separated, or widowed, trait positive affect, and trait negative affect. Age, age squared, and log income were not significant.9
4.3.3 Model 3
The results of Model 3 (women, COVID-stress scale) were significant. Among women, a significant relationship between the COVID-19-related stress scale and life satisfaction was observed. Factors associated with life satisfaction at a level of p < 0.1 or less included hours worked and trait positive affect. In contrast with the regression findings among men, among women income, marital status, and trait negative affect were not significant predictors of life satisfaction.
4.3.4 Model 4
The results of Model 4 (pooled, individual COVID-related stressors) were significant. Direct relationships were observed between life satisfaction and work-related stress increasing, stress from reduced income/revenue, stress from increased family responsibilities, and stress from the impact of COVID on an advisor’s clients. Variables that were significantly associated with life satisfaction when interacted with male status included work-related stress increase, stress due to working outside of one’s office, stress due to reduced income/revenue, and stress due to the impact of COVID on one’s clients. Other factors associated with life satisfaction at a level of p < 0.1 or less included being male, hours worked, being married rather than divorced, separated, or widowed, trait positive affect, and trait negative affect.
4.3.5 Model 5
The results of Model 5 (men, individual COVID-related stressors) were significant. Among men, no direct relationships were observed among COVID-related stressors and life satisfaction. Factors associated with life satisfaction at a level of p < 0.1 or less included hours worked, being married rather than divorced, separated, or widowed, being single rather than divorced, separated, or widowed, trait positive affect, and trait negative affect. Age, age squared, and log income were not significant.
4.3.6 Model 6
The results of Model 6 (women, individual COVID-related stressors) were significant. Among women, direct relationships were observed among all COVID-related stressors. However, the direction of relationships varied. Negative relationships with life satisfaction were observed among work-related stress increasing, stress due to reductions in revenue/income, and stress due to increased family responsibilities. Positive relationships with life satisfaction were observed among stress due to working outside of the office and stress due to the impact of COVID on one’s clients. Other factors associated with life satisfaction at a level of p < 0.1 or less included log income, hours worked, and trait positive affect. Age, marital status, and trait negative affect were not significant predictors of life satisfaction among women when all COVID-related stressors were included individually.
4.3.7 Robustness tests
Results were largely consistent when running our regressions only on married individuals as a robustness check. However, significance levels of the COVID-19-related stress measure were generally reduced.10 For instance, in Model 1, the p-value for the COVID-related stress scale increased from p = 0.004 among all individuals (OR = 0.699) to p = 0.013 among only married individuals (OR = 0.717). Similarly, in Model 3, the p-value for the COVID-related stress scale increased from p = 0.023 among all individuals (OR = 0.734) to p = 0.060 among only married individuals (OR = 0.762).
The present findings highlight the impact of COVID-19 on financial advisors’ well-being. Gender differences were observed in COVID-19-related stress (Q1–Q5) among financial advisors in our sample. Both men and women reported a significant increase in their work-related stress since the onset of COVID-19. Controlling for other significant predictors including income, marital status, and trait positive and negative affect, financial advisors’ COVID-19-related stress negatively predicted their life satisfaction (Q6). Women reported significantly greater increases in COVID-19-related stress, and this had a greater negative relationship with their life satisfaction.
As predicted, gender differences were observed in the respondents’ work-related stress due to COVID-19 (Q1), managing family and other responsibilities outside of the workplace since the onset of COVID-19 (Q4), and experiencing the impact of COVID-19 on their clients (i.e., affective empathy; Q5). However, in response to two of our research questions, mean levels of agreement were below the midpoint of the scale, indicating that these factors were not considered stressors, and gender differences were not seen in these items: working outside of their normal office (Q2) and reduced revenue or income (Q3). In line with previous research on the disproportionate impact of COVID-19-related stressors to women’s (vs. men’s) life satisfaction (Kowal et al., 2020; Li et al., 2020; Milliken et al., 2020), COVID-19-related stress significantly affected women’s—but not men’s—life satisfaction (Q6).
There are a number of important implications of these findings, beginning with the basic insight that COVID-19 has been stressful for many financial advisors. Especially for female financial advisors, respondents in our survey reported that this increased work-related stress impacted their overall life satisfaction. Although significant gender differences were not found in life satisfaction, this actually departs from past research consistently showing higher levels of life satisfaction among women than men, particularly in more educated samples (Graham & Chattopadhyay, 2013; Joshanloo & Jovanović, 2020). This further illustrates the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on women. Additionally, although the interaction term in Model 1 between gender and the COVID-related stress scale was not significantly associated with life satisfaction, the COVID-related stress scale was significantly negatively associated with life satisfaction among women but not associated with life satisfaction among men. While these findings may seem incongruent, it is important to note that other factors not interacted with gender in Model 1 were allowed to relate differently with life satisfaction by gender within Models 2 and 3. In particular, differing relationships between marital status and trait negative affect with life satisfaction by gender likely contribute to this result.
A second implication of the present study stem from the finding that women, but not men, agreed that managing family or other responsibilities outside of the workplace was a stressor. Whereas past research has been split on the impact of COVID-19 on the division of household labor (Andrew et al., 2020; Carlson et al., 2020) and the impact of domestic responsibilities on well-being (Adams-Prassl et al., 2020; Etheridge & Spantig, 2020), the present findings suggest that among this sample of financial advisors, only women experienced family responsibilities as a personal stressor, and this had a significantly negative impact on their well-being. Working to reduce the unequal distribution of domestic labor could help alleviate these negative effects. Furthermore, workplace policies may be able to help promote more equal sharing of domestic responsibilities and workplace outcomes. For instance, Seron and Ferris (1995) found that, compared to women who were more likely to spend family-friendly time off from work engaged in domestic labor, men were more likely to spend free-time being inaccessible and engaged in leisure or social networking activities that carried other potential professional benefits (e.g., playing golf). If family-friendly time given to employees is going to be used in a gendered manner that does not result in equal opportunities, then companies may wish to consider alternative benefits (e.g., paid childcare or housekeeping services) that may be more likely to free up time for employees regardless of gender. Employers may also want to consider how policies such as paid parental leave may influence more equal sharing of domestic responsibilities. For instance, Tharp and Parks-Stamm (2021b) found that offering paid parental leave for a shorter period of time (e.g., 12 weeks) increased male intentions to take more time off after the birth of a child and reduced the overall gender leave gap, whereas unpaid leave (regardless of length) and longer periods of paid leave led to larger intended gender leave gaps. Increasing the amount of parental leave taken by the father has been found to have long-term effects on their involvement in childcare and housework (Meil, 2013; Patnaik, 2019).
A third implication relates to the significant differences we observed between male and female advisors in the extent to which they experienced the impact of COVID-19 on their clients as a personal stressor. Although empathetic stress is positively associated with life satisfaction (in our sample, see Models 4 and 6 in Table 4, and in past research; Grühn et al., 2008), experiencing negative emotions on behalf of one’s clients puts financial advisors at risk of burnout and job dissatisfaction (Koesten, 2005; Miller & Koesten, 2008). Given that women in this sample reported experiencing a greater degree of stress due to the impact of COVID-19 on their clients, it is important to consider potential gender differences in the risk of leaving the industry or otherwise experiencing burnout due to differences in affective empathy. Greater investigation into interventions that may help alleviate this type of stress may also be warranted, not only due to concerns related to gender disparities, but also because both men and women in this study reported experiencing stress on behalf of clients at levels above a neutral midpoint. Furthermore, While the broader relationship between empathetic stress and life satisfaction is outside of the scope of this paper, we do wish to note that we doubt there is a causal relationship here. It is doubtful that, all else being equal, experiencing empathetic stress results in greater life satisfaction. Rather, we suspect there is a confounding factor that is leading to this observed relationship. For instance, it is reasonable to suspect that empathy is useful in formulating higher-quality relationships with family and others, and family support has been found to be associated with measures of subjective well-being (e.g., see Asebedo & Seay, 2014).
Our findings regarding the relationship between trait affect and satisfaction assessment among financial advisors is another important contribution to this study. While prior research on financial advisor satisfaction has considered the role of personality as a predictor of satisfaction (e.g., Pasztor et al., 2019 found that extraversion was positively associated with career satisfaction), research comparing Big Five traits and trait affect as predictors of satisfaction have found trait affect to be a stronger predictor (Tharp et al., 2020). Failing to control for top-down influences on satisfaction assessment in future advisor satisfaction research could lead to biased results, particularly in contexts in which personality may play a role in selecting into one role over another. For instance, if we assume that (a) client-facing employees tend to be more extraverted (which has been found to be highly correlated with trait affect, see Tharp et al., 2020) than back-office employees, and (b) that personality (Big Five traits, trait affect, or otherwise) plays a top-down role on satisfaction assessment, then an analysis that does not account for the role of these top-down traits may erroneously conclude that client-facing employees have higher levels of satisfaction than back-office employees when the difference between groups may actually be driven by personality differences. Another notable finding from our study related to trait affect is the absence of a negative relationship between life satisfaction and negative affect among women, which contrasts with prior studies on the relationship between satisfaction and trait negative affect (Tharp et al., 2020; Tharp & Parks-Stamm, 2021a). Further research can help elucidate whether this may be a peculiar result particular to this sample or a unique relationship between trait affect and satisfaction among female financial advisors.
There are a number of limitations within the present analysis. First, these data do not come from a representative sample of the financial advisory industry, and therefore may not generalize to the industry as a whole. In particular, advisors within the present analysis tend to be disproportionately CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professionals (71.9% in this study versus roughly 20% across the industry; Johnson, 2014) and operating and representatives of Registered Investment Advisers (RIAs) (63.7% in this study versus an estimated 9% across the industry according to a projection by Cerulli Associates; Salinger, 2018). These characteristics would suggest that, compared to the industry as a whole, advisors within the present sample are more likely to take a fiduciary-minded approach to servicing clients, and both COVID-19-related stress and relationships between COVID-19-related stress and life satisfaction could differ among advisors with temperaments that lead them to select into the more sales-oriented channels of the industry. Data were also disproportionately missing among individuals who preferred to not reveal their income. As it is reasonable to suspect that those who are comfortable revealing their income may differ from those who are not across a number of relevant dimensions such as personality, it is possible that this response bias is biasing our results.
Second, although this study did ask about stressors and changes in stress since the onset of COVID-19, this study did not actually measure stress at multiple points in time. It is possible that the stress and changes in stress reported by respondents would differ if measured via pre- and post-tests on a longitudinal basis. Relatedly, because these data are cross-sectional, our findings are merely correlational and we cannot speak to causal relationships between COVID-19-related stress and life satisfaction. The timing may also have been less than ideal for looking at certain relationships. For instance, although we examined stress due to income declining, the market decline and recovery associated with COVID-19 happened so quickly that asset values had largely recovered by the time that this survey was conducted. Therefore, we may have been measuring stress associated with income declines at a time when this concern had largely gone away. Furthermore, it is possible that perceptions of life satisfaction tend to have a longer-term orientation and are simply less influenced by short-term situational factors such as COVID-19-related stress.
Third, it would have been useful to have additional information related to family and other advisor characteristics available for this study. Data on dependents and household composition may have been particularly insightful given the increased burden that households with children have faced due closures of schools, daycares, and other reductions in institutional support (Power, 2020). Furthermore, gender differences in other family-related outcomes—such as marriage and parental income premiums—have been noted among financial advisors, specifically (Tharp et al., 2021). Relatedly, because the survey used in this analysis did not ask whether dependent children were present within a household, we are limited in the extent to which we can examine relationships between family responsibilities and life satisfaction. We did find that our results remained largely the same when only married individuals were included in the analyses.
This study sought to examine gender differences in COVID-19-related stress and relationships between COVID-19-related stress and life satisfaction among financial advisors. While we found that both the men and women who responded to our survey reported dealing with increased stress due to COVID-19, women appeared to be experiencing higher levels of stress due to COVID-19, and this stress was found to be negatively associated with life satisfaction among women but not men. Higher levels of stress were particularly observed among women with respect to family and other responsibilities outside of the workplace and empathetic stress for one’s clients, both of which have important implications for promoting a more inclusive industry that is open to individuals with different backgrounds, strengths, and preferences.


The title of this blog is from the band called the Decemberists. It's lyrics for one of their songs, or maybe the title of a song. I heard this song on the radio back at the end of 2005, when I was driving home in the rain one day. It was the only time I heard this song, but someone the sentiment kept with me. Especially on rainy, sad days like today.
The interesting part of the song is how it takes very banal lyrics such as "Please love me, stay with me" and sort of turns them around. Singing, "If you don't love me, please let me go", sounds really fresh. It's selfless. If you don't want me, I should not have you.
But why would one say "if you don't love me, please let me go"? Of course, if your partner does not love you, they would leave. Actually, anybody over 12 knows that this is not often the case. People stay together or even married for many reasons, besides love. Why end the line with, "please let me go" rather than "please let me know" or "I'm leaving"? It's because the person is still in love and still attached. But this person feels doubtful his lover feels the same way as he does. And if his lover did not, the only way he can free himself from misery is if his lover leaves him.
Though, if you want somebody to leave you if they don't love you, isn't that selfish? I suppose not if it's for their own sake.
The saddest situation is when a man feels highly of a women, but she not of him. Which happens fairly often in anime and manga. Well, practically any love story, but the kinds of stories I follow come from the Japanese. Hopefully, it never appears in my life, though to be in love is to have doubts.


I’ve read the “about me” sections of hundreds of websites searching for the inspiration to write my own, but it always comes back to who I am as a person, which is not someone who likes to talk myself. I prefer the center of attention to remain where it belongs –on the couples I photograph.
However, I do want you to understand who I am and thought the best way to share that is through the words of the people who mean the most to me – my family and friends.
Here’s a little look into what they had to say:
“Nate has an unnatural fear of sharks.”
“He is the ultimate perfectionist, from his art to the lawn.”
“If Nate sees someone on the street that he even THINKS might be hungry he will buy them food. I’m so proud of his big heart.”
“He is an amazing friend, a great uncle to my kids, and someone I feel truly blessed to have in my life.”
Now that we have that out of the way…I love shooting weddings, which is why we’re here, right? My passion for shooting weddings grows with each wedding I shoot. From the very first one I shot while getting my MFA, to hopefully yours, each one is different and brings new surprises, challenges, and friends. With each one, I am searching for those special moments unique to each couple - the way the father of the bride looks at his daughter for the last time before he walks her down the aisle, the glisten in the corner of the groom’s eye as he tries to hold it together during his vows, or the way the new husband and wife hold hands under the table as they listen to their closest family and friends speak about them.
I would love to photograph your special moments, too. Let’s get together to talk about your wedding. While we’re at it I’ll tell you all about my amazing wife and best-friend, Jess, our son, Bennett, and our mini Australian Shepherd, Tula.


This course can no longer be booked.
SOULCARE JOURNEY SACRED HEALING - OCT
Oct 10 and Oct 24 at 6 pm
- 250 US dollars$250
- KPV ZOOM
2nd month- October COMMUNION & NOURISHMENT Nourish your inner subtleties Repair the connection between Self and your deeper Self Deepen your intimate relationship with Self


• Organize and participate marketing activities, such as seminars, workshop or demo as needed to generate sales leads and qualify them.
• Develop and maintain good relationship with customers and industry opinion leaders.
• Manage customer satisfaction with all installed customers through effective coordination with Customer Support team, and effective problem solving to customers as necessary
• Has ultimate responsibility for account management in assigned territory
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Whenever I tell people I’m in a long distance relationship I get bombarded with the, “how do you do it?” questions. I think I’m so used to it now that I generate the same generic responses, like — “it’s really hard” type of thing. But when I really stop to think about it, even though I immediately want to speak from a place of sadness, there has been amazing self-growth and learning experiences during my time alone. My boyfriend and I have been dating for almost 5 years, wowza, and in these past couple of years, we’ve been apart more than we’ve been together (I’m in school, he’s in LA, it’s the worst). It’s hard not having your person there with you through the big life changes and I’m with you, missing your person sucks. But through the years I’ve learned a few things…
Ways to make long distance not totally suck –
Growth – Being away from someone you love is never easy, but it’s also an opportunity for you both to grow individually. Take advantage of that time. Focus on things that make you happy and go down any path that peeks your interest.
Trust – Giving your significant other space isn’t a bad thing. I know it’s hard not to be hyper focused on them at all times, but with trust comes freedom.
Future Plans – Making plans for the next time you see each other is something that has become really helpful for me. The excitement leading up to a trip is always the best.
Most importantly, don’t sweat the small stuff. In the big picture, it never usually matters anyways.
Special thanks to my boy, H. <3


I was asked by many people whether I still single and available or not. I don't know why it is so important to know about someone's relationship status? Because my friendship has nothing to with my current relationship status. And if you think it's important, you should tell me the reason of it.
My heart is taken and it equals to I'm attached. Oh really? No. The right words should be I'm single but not yet available. I prefer to tell everybody that I'm single but I'm not interested to have any relationship for the moment. Reason? I haven't finished my study yet. And, my parents will oppose me. Why? Being a medical student needs a lot of commitment. It's not just for the sake of passing the exam but for the sake of my time management. Yes, I do have time for love thingy but I cannot promise I can maintain it.
Anyway, I love somebody already. And I belong to her. Who? XD
Last but not least, I'm finishing my study soon. I hope I can pass my exam and go back to my lovely hometown and start working. But I'm kinda scare, no confident to pass my exam. Sigh. Please support me in your prayer!


31st October 2007
I missed posting a blog last Friday for this, but I just wanted to pop in and say send some wishes to my mom, Sandy, for her BIG birthday this past Friday. I can’t tell you how old she is… except that I’m 31, and though my mom likes to say she was a teenage bride… um… well… I’m so lucky to have such a great mom. I love her so much, and I wish we could have been nearby to celebrate with her. Analise and I made her brownies, though, and we’ll see how they hold up after a couple days in the USPS.
I love you, Mom!! My sweeties love their Grandma Sandy!!! Happy Birthday!!


Article in Brooklyn The Borough
As an adoptee, how did making the film affect you?
I had the opportunity to meet my biological mother only once before she passed away. And since her death I always wondered what our relationship might have been like if we had spent more time together. I always wanted to hear her version of the story and to have a honest conversation about what she went through. I didn’t get that chance. However, as I interviewed these mothers in Costa Rica, I felt like my mother was speaking through them. I was asked repeatedly if I resented my mother and to describe what my experience being separated from her was like. I felt an unexpected connection to these women. When I began this film I wondered if it would bring me closer to my birth mother. I was skeptical at first, but it did in the most unexpected way – through the constant declarations of love and expressions of regret I heard from these mothers.


We are a group of transplant recipients, family members and donor family members who come together for peer support and education. Our monthly support group has been the foundation of our organization.
Everyone is welcome to come engage in meaningful discussions about the transplant journey. Hear successes and challenges as we unite together as a transplant family of sorts.
09:00 am – 05:00 pm


Collaborative Family Law
Collaborative family law, also known as collaborative practice, provides an alternative to litigation for couples who want to separate and/or divorce amicably and respectfully. The goal of collaborative family law is to allow you, as separating parties, to work with each other, your respective lawyers and other third-party specialists to reach a mutually acceptable solution for the issues stemming from the breakdown of your relationship. This method of alternative dispute resolution aims to encourage you to work together instead of against one another. Unlike with mediation, where a neutral third party guides the process towards conflict resolution, here you, as the separating parties, and your lawyers work out the differences amongst yourselves. The resolutions are then incorporated into a valid and binding agreement.
Robert became a member of the International Academy of Collaborative Professionals in 2015. As a collaborative lawyer, Robert will act as a support or coach offering advice to his clients when a legal issue arises. His goal is to ensure that the process stays balanced, positive and productive as he helps guide the parties to the best possible settlement, which maintains and promotes his clients and their children’s rights.
Benefits to collaborative family law
- Allows you to avoid going to court and to protect your children and yourselves from the stress associated with litigation;
- Allows parties to remain amicable, maintain open communication and information sharing, and retain control over the decision-making in their situation;
- Ensures both parties have all the information required to make the necessary decisions and that the negotiations remain constructive and capture the interests of both parties;
- Creates customized solutions that consider the priorities of both parties;
- Avoids excessive financial costs or formalities associated with litigation;
- Quicker and more efficient than litigation;
- Encourages the participation of third-party specialists who can help provide information or plans to address the parties particular issues and concerns during the four-way meetings. Outside experts such as divorce coaches, childcare, financial and real estate specialists, psychological experts and other professionals with the experience needed for the particular family situation.
Is collaborative family law right for you?
Collaborative family law is not for every separating or divorcing couple. If your marriage breakdown occurs as a result of adultery or abuse, it may be very difficult for you and the other party to sit down together and collaboratively come up with solutions to the issues identified. There will often be feelings of animosity, fear, or hostility in this scenario, which run counter to the tenets of collaborative family law. If you lack confidence in the ability of your partner to be honest, amicable, and/or participative, or if you yourself are not open to respectful participation, then collaborative family law may not be the right choice for you. In this circumstance, you and your partner may alternatively wish to jointly retain a mediator and separately retain a lawyer to provide independent legal advice during the mediation process and to respectively advocate your independent needs and rights outside the court system. Or you can take a look at our other services offered at Shawyer Family Law and Mediation PC.


Here are 5 steps you can take to build peaceful relationships with others, so you can have meaningful relationships with people you really care about and feel better about yourself too!
1. Managing Conflict
Almost every relationship has some kind of conflict. Conflict isn’t a problem, but the way it’s handled can bring people together or tear them apart. Poor communication skills, disagreements, and misunderstandings can cause resentment and distance, but they can also be the beginning of a stronger relationship and a happier future.
Healthy communication is critical to maintaining long-term relationships. If you use healthy communication methods, you are likely to find common ground even when you disagree. This can help strengthen your relationship over time.
Some of the tips to keep in mind:
- Be direct, but do not blame the other person for problems and do not be overly negative.
- Try to look at your relationship problems from an external, objective perspective. This means that you should limit your constructive discussion to one issue at a time.
Being honest with someone, whether it’s your partner or someone else, doesn’t mean you have to tell them everything you think or know.
Still, there are many good reasons to keep things to yourself. You may not want to share a hurtful opinion, a private thought, or information that would cause you to break a promise to a friend.
You can also give vague answers if you don’t want to go into detail.
Think about the importance of being honest in your relationships.
Ask yourself, “Am I hiding something or keeping something to myself?” if you want to keep something to yourself. – That’s different.
3. Handling Expectations
Expectations can change the way a relationship works, setting the tone and making it feel safe and supportive. However, it’s important to know the difference between reasonable and unreasonable expectations so you don’t feel bad about unmet needs or impossible demands.
You can learn to manage expectations by using some of the following:
- Being able to talk openly with the person.
- Respecting each other’s differences.
- Helping each other through difficult times.
- Agreeing on what is okay and what is not are all important parts of a healthy relationship.
4. Check How You Are Feeling
Stop for a moment and think about how you feel. Sometimes we don’t care about how we really feel and let our mind rule our heart, or we lose touch with our feelings.
Try meditating so that when you feel like you’re reacting instead of responding, you can stop and check your mood for a few minutes. Breathe in, breathe out!
5. Expressing Your Needs
If both people’s needs are met, the relationship does well; if not, it breaks down. When you tell your partner what you want, you show that you care about them and their role in the relationship.
To meet each other’s needs, you must be able to communicate well and be willing to give and take.
We all have needs and expressing them in a healthy way is part of having a strong, loving and respectful relationship with ourselves and others.
Here are some things to keep in mind when trying to get our point across:
- Accept that we cannot force other people to do what we want them to do.
- Respect other people as much as you respect yourself.
We hope these tips will help you develop healthy relationship skills and a peaceful relationship with yourself, friends and loved ones. Meditation is one way that can help you build self-awareness to create authentic relationships!
If you are looking for someone to guide you on your journey, contact us at firstname.lastname@example.org or follow us on social media @iammichaelteh.


Saturday, September 1, 2007
Rings and Things
In the next several days since our dinner, Andrevo and I spent a lot of time together, riding, hunting...getting to know each other better. I wanted to conjure something so we could communicate better, without being overheard, and thought it might be nice to put it in the engagement ring. Less noticeable that way. I didn't want to be too...obvious though, and while I tried to hint at the subject, eventually I just had to be blunt and ask him if he was planning on giving me an engagement ring. I told him of my plans, which he liked, but he wished to keep our rings, and their significance, separate. I told him I would find some other piece of jewelry to work with instead. I also asked him about Joan...perhaps he would know of some what I could make amends, or mollify her. He, unfortunately, directed me to Agnes or Ambrose. I had already talked to Agnes, and she could say nothing. I suppose that left Ambrose to ask.


Weddings are so great. And what makes them even better is a beautifully sunny, outdoor reception with a mini BYU-Idaho reunion.
Our friend Anna Baird got married on January 3, 2015. The reception was beautiful and her new husband seemed great. Plus, when we walked into the reception, the Civil Wars were playing so I know he has good taste in music. :)
As we were walking around the reception we were worried that we wouldn't know anyone there and would sit all lonely eating gelato and rice krispy treats. But then Aimee Schultz, Anna's best friend and our BYU-Idaho friend came and sat next to us! Yay for friends. Her and her daughter were just hanging out in southern California since Christmas.
Then, to make it even better, Brad Nuttall and his wife Tracy, and their cute daughter dropped by as well. It was seriously like a little reunion. Brad and I were roommates, and Aimee and Anna were roommates, and we were all FHE siblings. Then later in the summer, Aimee, Anna, and Caitlin were all roommates. Such the greatest time.
They had a photo booth at the reception, so all of us decided to squeeze in and take some pictures.
Anna and her husband Braeden were super cute together. He was so nice and they seemed perfect for each other. I wish receptions weren't so hectic. It would have been so great to have time to talk to them longer. I haven't seen Anna since she went on her mission, so we had a lot to talk about. But I am overjoyed to see the happy couple and am so grateful for facebook and blogging to keep in contact with people you don't get to see very frequently.


Don't Stay With The Sh*t Head - There's SO Much Better Out There
It's true how the saying goes - you've got to kiss a LOT of frogs before you find your prince/princess.
It's a rare occasion that you meet someone who's never had a bad fling or relationship and been left hurt, damaged and untrusting afterwards.
It was only a week or so ago however, when I told a friend over a few drinks the shit that I put up with in a past relationship that I realised how awful it was. Looking back, I was an absolute dope for ever associating myself with someone like that, especially when I knew deep down it was toxic.
I realised I was in a relationship with a sh*thead.
(Fortunately, he was never physically abusive, he was just a crap person.)
So here is my wish for those reading this who can relate - get away from that situation.
"Love" or lust makes us do crazy things, we seem to find ourselves doing loops and ending up back where we started, feeling pissed off and unfulfilled.
For yourself - do what's best for your needs.
Don't let anyone manipulate you and waste your time. You're so much better than that. Once you're out of that situation you'll realise how amazing real human connection can be.
Take time to figure yourself out, what do you want, who do you want to be with?
You'll get there.
And trust me, stay away from that sh*thead!


Animation, Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi, Thriller
2020year 65min 7.5IMDB
Ayaka Asai, Johnny Yong Bosch, Griffin Burns, Robbie Daymond
Digimon Adventure: Last Evolution Kizuna is a movie starring Ayaka Asai, Johnny Yong Bosch, and Griffin Burns. The team discovers that when they grow up, their relationship with their Digimon will come closer to an end. They realize...


Bevel Code 008 • “Coupled in Creativity” // For this week’s Bevel Code feature (Valentine’s Day Edition), we profiled photographers Rog and Bee Walker.
We asked the two what they had in store for each other this Valentine’s day. Rog wouldn’t divulge the specifics (good idea!) but commented “we’ll definitely spend time enjoying each other. I think one of the things you take for granted when you’ve been with someone for a while is intentional time spent [together]. I just want to be with her outside of the day-to-day. I want her to be a priority and not just a passenger within my day.” Preach


Publishers– Penguin Books
Number of pages– 239
“Love Bi The Way” is a romance fiction by Bhaavna Arora.
The book has the story of love in the purest of its forms.
It revolves around the romantic lives of Rihana and Zara.
Rihana, a painter who paints love and the only love she seeks in real is the one made in bed.
She knows what men are made of and what they wants and every single time she is successful at making their blood rush to their groins. She is too glam to give a damn and she is aware of the fact that the only male that loves her unconditionally is Tiger, her golden retriever.
Her days are fuelled by inspiration and nights by passion and each time the man is different.
Zara, a businesswoman set to pave her path in the male dominant world and be truly independent. A soft hearted woman who just wishes to make peace with her past. She keeps to herself most of the time and the one time she opens up to Rihana is after gulping few glasses of wine.
The ladies have a series of romantic encounters with many men, including a Prince who charms Zara into making her feel like the beautiful woman she is and a few unfortunate incidents as well that make them open up to each other and slowly paves a way to their love to surface.
Its a treat to read the women make a pact with their past so that it doesn’t bother them anymore and the way two independent girls deal with all the situations that they face. And in the end, how they fall in love and realise that all they need to cherish is their togetherness and the intimacy they share with each other that no other man had ever been able to reach.
The book summarizes change as the current society treats sex and every other thing related to it as taboo. Two women in love are neither socially nor legally accepted in our country and yet this book stands proud displaying all the love women can have in a healthy relationship.
Love doesn’t need to be with someone of the opposite sex, you just go there where you find love.
The book is both sugar and spice. Zara’s serenity and Rihana’s talent depict the sweetness and the passion between the ladies and the men they spend their time with( I would like to mention the Prince) spices up the book.
The best thing about the book, the scenes were perfectly described, passionate, sexy yet nowhere near vulgar. The author has pulled off the scenes with such grace that most people aren’t able to do.
The writing style is simple without the use of many gargantuan words which makes it an east and appreciable read.
Ratings- 3 stars out of 5
Though the feeling between the two could be felt, it would have been better if there were more words describing it
The book has been named ” Love BI the way ” which gives a view of a love relationship where the woman/man is confused whether he/she loves the man more or the woman while the plot is clearly of lesbian love.
The book clearly has a plot to inspire as the author and the editor have done a great job.
* Give wings to a poor man’s aspirations and he will emerge from poverty only to be dependent on his providers.
* You can either be truthful or faithful in a relationship.
* A devil is just a drunk angel.
* Thieves follow principles more than saints.
* Making love to a body is different from making love to a soul.
* Pleasure is never associated with morality.
*Some paintings are better lived than being depicted on canvas.
* Love has no gender.
* Sex is a part, rather a subset of love.
* The only endangered species today is probably “humanity”.
* Oxygen is enough to survive, but to really live, you need much more.
* Love is like the truth— everyone has their own version. The heart has its own justification for love, especially the one the world denies.
* When a heart seeks love, the world cannot stop it, as no higher principle should govern it.
Reviewed by- Banaja Prakashini
Buy the book at- Love Bi the Way


I will always love you
Everything might feel perfect and he may make it seem perfect..with not only his words but his actions but what you need to get through your thick skull of your is there is no such thing as perfect. He is only there a certain period of time and that is it. No matter how much you love him he will never love you the same.
The one who felt the same as you


Signs of Relationships in Trouble:
and calls me names.
- We bicker and argue over most things.
- Problems never get resolved; they keep coming back.
- We never go out and have fun anymore. We hardly talk.
- My spouse controls the money, where I go and who I see, puts me down
says I'm too easy.
- My partner clams up for days. I don't know what he/she is thinking or upset about.
- Affection and intimacy are important to me but I get very little of either.
- The kids are out of control. I say my partner is too harsh and my partner
to spend in separate activities.
- We can't agree on major issues like managing finances, or how much time
- I am having an affair.
- My partner is having an affair.
Some of the issues addressed in couples counseling are:
- A successful way to stop arguments.
- Techniques you can use at home to reach agreement about:
- Managing finances
- Parenting methods
- Sharing house and childcare responsibilities.
- How quality time together affects companionship, communication, and affection.
- Ways to increase constructive communication and discuss relationship issues.
- How to recover from an affair, regain trust, and focus on a better relationship.
- Ways to get the intimacy you desire.
In counseling we strive for peace, harmony, and cooperation. My goal is to help each
couple find the marital happiness they deserve.
Finding the Path Together
| Marilyn Huber, LMFT
Helping Adults Deal With the Problems of Life
Marilyn Huber, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist 252-756-4899


ARE YOU READY FOR SEX?
You are the only person who can decide if and when you are ready to be sexually active. This can be a very difficult decision to make. There is no magical age when people are suddenly ready, and there may be a lot of outside pressures – from your partner, your friends, the media, etc. – that can make it tricky to figure out how YOU feel and what YOU want.
Just remember that sex should be a pleasurable, comfortable, and guilt-free experience for both you and your partner.
Here are 10 questions that can help you decide if you are ready for sex:
- Are you feeling pressured to have sex by your partner, your friends, or television and movies?
- Will having sex fit with your religious or moral beliefs? In other words, will you feel guilty if you have sex?
- Do you want to have sex to get love, affection, or attention?
- Do you want to have sex to prove that you are sexually attractive?
- Are you afraid that your reputation will be hurt if you have sex?
- Do you think having sex will increase the commitment level of your relationship?
- Do your partner and you want the same things from sex?
- If you are in an opposite sex relationship, can you talk to your partner about birth control and share the responsibility of birth control (e.g. paying for it, using it properly, etc.)? If the birth control fails, are you both ready to deal with an unintended pregnancy?
- Can you talk to your partner about sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and how you can protect yourselves?
- When you’re physically away from your partner, do you feel as ready to be sexually active as you do when you’re in the heat of the moment – e.g., making out with your partner? When you’re sober, do you feel as ready to be sexually active as when you’re drunk or high?
If you answered YES to questions 1, 3, 4, 5, 6 and/or NO to questions 2, 7, 8, 9, 10, you may want to spend some more time thinking about whether you are really ready to become sexually active.
If you are not ready to have sex, that is okay! You should never feel guilty about that decision. Even if you’ve had sex before, you can always decide that now you’d like to wait. Even if you’ve told your partner that you’re ready to have sex, you can ALWAYS change your mind! Respect yourself and your choices. The right person will respect these choices too.
You should never have to explain your reasons for saying “no”, but if your partner is pressuring you to have sex, here are some ideas for responses you can give:
“If you loved me, you’d have sex with me”
If you loved ME, you wouldn’t pressure me.
“Everybody’s doing it”
Great! Then you shouldn’t have any trouble finding someone to do it with!
“If you don’t, I’ll find someone who will”
Okay, go ahead. I don’t want to be with someone who only wants me for sex.
Sometimes it is helpful to talk to a trusted adult, such as your parents or guidance counselor, about the decision. You are also always encouraged to call us at the Halifax Sexual Health Centre for support!


Gratitude, sadly, was a learned emotion for me. But through some long hard years I came to know that I have more to be thankful for than any man deserves. Today is Thanksgiving, and I am far from home, and I've never missed my wife and my friends and my family and my kitties more than I do right now. I love you all. Thank you for being there for me, even when I am not there for you.
And now it's time for me to go play some rock and roll!


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Meetic Has it been a while since your last date? Do you want someone in your life again but you're unsure about the dating scene? Where do you even start or where do you go to find a date? The dating scene has changed a lot over the past few years but with the basic information outlined below, you will be ready to get back out there and start dating. meetic On-line dating is a great alternative to the normal practice of dating, in which you go to bars with your friends and fail repeatedly to make contact with anyone you actually would ever want to talk to again. Today, dating through the internet is a popular way of connecting to people and finding that "special someone" Indeed, it is not unusual to hear of couples that met through online dating sites.
Meetic There are thousands upon thousands of online dating services available, from huge sites with millions of members from all four corners of the world to niche dating sites that cater for small groups of people. Finding the right one who shares your lifestyle isn't always easy, but now you can browse the profiles of thousands of other people on dating services websites. meetic These dating rules for success do not include any instructions that ask you to represent yourself in a way that is not truly you. There are areas where self improvement is recommended, however. The goal of these dating rules is to inspire you to be your best so that you can attract the best partner for you!
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Meetic How are the new rules of dating shaping up and what is the current dating scene like? Words from people who have been there before describe how the dating scene in the 21st century is going. meetic For most daters, one of the main reasons of the first date is to get to the second, third, and fourth date, etc etc etc. I'm sure you know how the script ends. Sometimes it's harder to think about all the things you want to say or do on your first date, however, if you want to ensure that you never have a second date, do these things.


you wanna spend your life with her, but you cant spell her name. way to go kid. dream big.
Sellena Gomez is like an angel in my eyes and if i had to to choose a girl i would want to spend the rest of my life with it would be her
I LOVE SADEE BIEBER AND TATYANA AND BRANDY COBB!
I LOVE NICK JONAS. HE IS SO HOT
jusin bieber i love him i just dont get the girls that think they know every thing about him its not like you know his personal life


When you hear the word “love,” what comes into your mind? Other people may smile. Some may frown. Everyone has their meaning of love. Love is a universal feeling. It is something that every human being feels at some point in life. Are you looking for the perfect woman? If so, check out some nice women here.
Be ready for love for when it comes; it’ll change your world. Here are different dating tips to look for love:
- Just Relax
Women are different from men. Accept the fact that some women prefer things to go slow. However, if you are the person who prefers to go slow and the woman you’re courting wants to level up your mutual feelings, tell that woman that you want to figure things still out. This rule applies either way.
- Try Dating Sites
There are still some nice women here at dating sites. If you think that most dating sites are just for one night stands, dating sites are only tools to connect people. If you’re looking for a woman, tell that person you are not into sex. Be clear about your intention in dating sites. You’ll find the right woman. Have a peek here to know more.
- Be Yourself But With Limitations
Don’t try to be somebody else because nobody is even trying to be like you. You only have yourself, and you should be proud. As a man looking for love, you must show yourself to the woman you like. However, limit only what she will see and know about you. But why? Keep a portion of yourself to you. You are not bound to share everything. Start dating some nice women here and level up your love life.
- Be Confident
Nothing beats good looks but sheer confidence. Some men out there are handsome, but they can’t even express their admiration to a certain person. Your confidence will take you into different heights. Women want a confident partner. You should be able to show your date that you love yourself. How can you love her if you don’t even love yourself? If you’re confident enough to take this challenge, fill in this contact form.
- Observe, observe, observe
This is the most important rule. When you’re on a date or chatting with a person, always observe. Observe the way she speaks. Notice her reaction to your statements. Does she have some gesture or mannerism? But—you might wonder—why is this needed? Know the woman through her actions as well. Your date won’t tell you everything she likes or dislikes. She won’t hand you a long list for that. Be observant but keep it subtle.
- Manners Is King
Remember your manners. Don’t try to impress the woman unless you can maintain it. Some men try to outdo themselves, and in the end, they tend to feel tired striving to be “prim and proper” when in fact, they’re not. Just remember basic manners that you learned when you were a child. But here’s the golden rule: treat your date like a princess without even trying to be a prince. Check This Out to find your future queen.


Brazilian dating services are rarely mentioned when it comes to tourism and many travellers do not even know that they exist, and yet the world of women in Brazil is open to any individual looking for love there. There are many agencies online that offer Brazilian women dating to individuals who are looking for love and marriage, and most of them are very successful. The Latina girl is considered sexy by the majority of men in first world countries and, as such, is in demand for those looking to meet someone with a different background and a different way of life. The personal adverts for women in Brazil attest to that and make the Brazilian dating services credible, as do the rates of success that they experience. The Brazilian dating girl will correspond with an individual that has expressed an interest in her via the Brazilian dating service that she has signed up to. Brazilian dating services will then check the compatibility and assess whether or not the man is serious about using the service for pure love and marriage. If they are then satisfied the two will meet and their relationship will progress. However, it is important not to confuse Brazilian dating services with sexual tourism. The Brazilian dating service is not the equivalent of an escort service or brothel, but instead provides a service to women in Brazil that are seriously looking for a husband that can improve their quality of life and give them the family that the majority of them are actively seeking An individual can contact Brazilian dating services from anywhere in the world via the Internet and does not necessarily have to visit Brazil in order to take part in the average dating service. There are several reputable and established dating services online including Cara Metade, which is based in Brazil and has been in operation for many years (http://www.agenciadenamoro.com). Brazilian Romance is another agency that is highly successful and has been around since 1996 (http://www.brazilianromance.com). This agency can be contacted on +55 11 9927-4797 as well if you prefer to speak to the dating service in person. The Internet has opened up a whole new world for dating and Brazilian dating services have taken full advantage!


I love this picture of my beautiful mom and sis, looking like some glam 1950s socialite and mini me. Two beauties!
No such similar picture exists of Mom and me. That is, no such picture of me looking that darling in a dress exists. My older sister could just pull it off. Continue reading


You know I can’t resist a cute gift tag. And with Valentine’s Day coming up of course I had to give you guys something fun to dress up your prezzies with. These are perfect for that special guy in your life, or to share with your galentines. Bonus points because you can pretty much use them year round 😉
Print them out HERE.
Have a fab weekend friends. I’ll be anxiously awaiting Baby Berto’s arrival!


Fathers Day 2016
Happy Fathers Day to all the Dads out there today.
Hope you are all being spoilt on your special day.
I would like to share a few photos to remember my Dad.
The earliest photo I have of Dad and me.
Dad and his apprentice Craig at Gateshead.
Dad and my two brothers at New Lambton
and also remembering Rons' Dad today.
Rons Dad and four of his sons and me on our wedding day.
Rons' Mum and Dad
Rons Dad and his grandson Darryl.


I am often told to be a kind, sociable, loyal, calm and affectionate girl. I lead an active, busy and healthy lifestyle. I have many good friends. I`m very romantic inside, and I know that true love will find me for sure someday, because I believe that I was born under a lucky star. I am a determined person and I am ready to do much to achieve my goals. In my dreams I see myself as a successful woman, with a loving man next to me. I will become a reliable support for him, being true to my partner. I love life and I enjoy every minute of it.
First of all,I should tell you that I am a family person.I adore comfort and order at home, so when I have a minute I dedicate myself to planting, decorating, cooking and even embroidering. One can tell that I am from the old school, as all modern ladies travel a lot and perhaps hang in the clubs or many other things besides spending time at home. I am sure I will try all kinds of things with my future beloved one. In my free time I like also to dance and listen to music. My life without melodies and harmonies would be dull and totally empty. Listening to and playing different tunes helps me to de-stress, relax and it can also help to motivate me into everything. I think that for every person music is like the memories to life. My best singers are Elton John and David Garrett. What is more, I like to make photos, not only of me, but of my friends and relatives. I like to perpetuate the moments of life in the pictures that I take. Photo is something more than a simple image for me. It is memory and emotions.
I am a person that searches true love and that`s why I`ve decided to register here to seek for my second half and destiny. When the world is no longer romantic, I still believe that my man should be faithful and loyal in any aspect, kind and attentive to me. I believe there is no perfection and I am not looking for it. He can have some bad habits and disadvantages, but what I want is to feel that this person is my special one, my soulmate. I do not want a superman or attractive model, my man will be always the best for me, no matter how he looks and what he does. I am looking abroad, because I know you have other views on life, principles and treatment of a lady and kids. I do not look on the date of man`s birth anymore, so I am not against if my man will be older than me, more experienced and wiser.
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I think I’m a very goal-oriented, serious, loyal and responsible young lady and I know very well what I want from life. I am very optimistic person and I always see the glass half full. I try to get everything good out of life. I am very active person and go in for sports regularly. I am divorced and I have a little baby. I like going for a walk with my son and enjoy the outdoors. I am also a romantic person and like cozy evenings at home, espacially with my beloved.
My interests are arts, animals, literature and computers. I like travelling, to go dancing very much, to spend time in nature and I like to have an active rest.
As for personal jrelations, I’d like to have a happy and strong family, and a loving husband, whom I could not live without, who’d be my best friend, confident and lover. I’d love to care about him, and to create a cozy home for us. I am searching for a responsible and serious man who is faithful. I want to build a strong and loving family with children. I have a lot of tenderness and warm feelings to spend on my man.
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I am artistic, kindhearted, strong in every thing, pretty, sporty and always laughting lady. To tell you the truth I am very impatient and imperturbable. I`m a lark that’s why I get up early. I can`t say that I am a leader but I am not standing at the end. I like to work and I am hard-working woman both at work and at home. I like when its clean. I`m always the same and I don’t like to put the mask on my face. I have a mild character and I like silence.
I like music very much. That’s why I play piano. I like modern music, especially house music. Also I like classic music. At childhood my dream was to become a trainer of dogs. I like dogs. And one of my hobbies is to collect photos with the dogs. Best of all I like films. I have a big collection of disks and I like to come home put on dvd and watch my favourite moves. Also I like to read. I like classic authors and modern ones. I spend a lot of time by the computer. I like internet and I like to find useful and necessary information for me. Also I like to spend time outside.
My man should be interesting, clever person with whom I can talk about everything and who can listen to another person. Smart, kind, intelligent, handsome, organized. He must not be silly and indifferent to problems of other people with good sense of humor. He mustn’t break hearts to all woman he must break only my heart. Also he must help me with cleaning our home. He must be a good father.
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As you can see, I am not a top model and I can add that I do not have a PhD in science. I am just an ordinary girl who may become special for you due to her affectionate soul, loving and kind heart and romantic spirit. I am the kind of girl who likes pizza and who likes to listen to good music. For me, an ideal way of spending time together is sitting at the beach under the moon, and saying the words of love to each other. I do not expect my soul mate to be a Super man and a millionaire. I just want him to be able to see my inner beauty and my sensuality.
I enjoy reading and i like watching movies, especially about the Rome Empire. My favorite movies are Troy, Spartacus, and The Brave Heart. I also like reading books on Psychology and Astrology. I like to eat healthy, to exercise and to keep in shape, so fitness, massage and sauna help me with it. Of course, I love my work and try to develop myself as a professional. My motto is a quotation by Abraham Lincoln: I am a slow walker, but I never walk back.
My biggest dream is to find a tender, intelligent, loyal and caring man with a kind heart who will accept my love and give me an ocean of feelings and love. Material is not important in life. To me, the most important thing is a person’s soul and harmony in feelings. My life goal is to be happy every day and share happiness with my beloved man.
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People who are close to me say that I am a modest person. I like kind, caring and sincere people. I simply adore children and I can spend endless time in their company. I cannot withstand bethrayal and lies. I like open, sincere and sympathetic people. I am a romantic person and I am always happy when I see romantic people.
When I have free time, I like to spend it in different ways. As mentioned, I like to have fun with children. Some of my hobbies are: watching a good movie, reading about psychology and practicing my culinary skills 🙂 I am a good cook and I can say that I am an expert in cooking healthy and tasty dishes.
I am 33 and I would like to meet a man between 32 and 46 years old. I see my Chosen man as a successful man in all spheres of life and a man who loves children. I wish that my man will know how to appreciate his woman’s kindness and spoiling attention – and that he will return it. I appreciate a man who is reliable, cheerful and a one-woman man.
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Believe it or not, my life is like a very interesting novel, that I write every day with my sensitive soul and my curious heart. My eyes reflect my inner world with its victories and defeats and I am not afraid or shy to show my nature. I truly believe that only being natural and sincere it the way that we can encounter love. I never feel bored and lonely because I have many interests and hobbies which fill my free time with pleasure and enjoyment. Even if I am not involved in some activities, in my mind, I already plan something new and exciting. It is a pity that in modern world we do not have much time for inner development, because too often, we are in a hurry and hardly find time to ask ourselves if we are really happy. But, how can we fall in love when we do not know ourselves? I definitely know that I am kind, loving, tender, sensual, loyal, attractive, determined, creative, life-loving and easy-going. My mind is open wide and I am not afraid of meeting new people and to live new adventures. Even being so active-minded, I always find time to make my home cozy and warm, filling it with my care, tenderness, loe and laughter.
I really can not imagine my life without sports adn keeping active. I love engaging into exercising, jogging, swimming and taking walks in the nature. With my friends, we enjoy being outdoors and every time we meet we always find something interesting and exciting to do together and keep up our communication.
I am 28 and looking for a nice and caring man between 30 and 45. I wish him to be different, but never dishonest. I like a man who can be sometimes weak, but never aggressive. I see him walking with a smile on his face holding my hand tenderly and – why not: kissing my lips with desire and passion. I wish him to be attentive and responsible, life-loving and active and not afraid of sharing his doubts, concerns and fears with me, because there are no such strong people in this world and I believe that a strong heart does not need love. I dream to talk or stay silent with him for hours and to share the warmth of our bodies and souls for eternity.
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About myself, I can say that I am an open-minded and tender woman who comes with a great sense of humor. I am sociable and communicative and I am loyal, caring and family-oriented. My soul is full of emotions and I want so much to share them with my special man. I can also say that I am responsible, creative, friendly, easy-going and understanding.
You may find this strange but one of my greatest hobbies is my work and I enjoy it. But at the same time, I try to find time for my soul and my body. I go to the gym for yoga regularly and do my best to stay fit. I have many friends and I like to meet them – sometimes we all get together and sing karaoke. I am interested into fashion and I like traveling. I also like to listen to music and sometimes I go to the cinema.
At 38, I want to meet an honest and responsible man, ideally between 30-45 years old and his children are welcome. I want him to be tactful and loving – a unique man only for me. I want to have more children in the future.
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People near me say that I am a tender, sensitive, loving and caring person – espacially with the peopole I love. I am also told to be a funny girl with perfect sense of humor 🙂 for sure, people around me are always smiling and laughing. My nature is dreaming and romantic and I am very naive. I am an optimistic and purposeful person and I am always ready to help other people in the need.
When I have free time, I like reading, traveling and to be lisenting to the music. My favourite music are modern and the classical. I love my profession a lot and I would like to improve my skills and knowledges in this field. I enjoy to go to the theatres, cinema and to visit museums. I adore the nature and to spend time outdoors.
I’m 25 and I am looking for serious man between 25 and 35 who wants to have a family soon, preferably with children. He should be very honest, faithful, optimistic, reliable, intelligent and not rude. He should also be able to appreciate a woman’s
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I am looking for my second half. He should be between 28 and 46 years old. I imagine my partner to be a serious and kind-hearted man, who possesses kindness, sincerity and reliability. I would like him to be intelligent, full-hearted, considerate, caring, supportive and friendly, with good sense of humour and positive outlook.
I have a soft character. I am flexible, tender and affectionate, dynamic, energetic, compassionate. I am open-minded, sincere, sociable, optimistic, accurate and caring. I consider myself as being romantic person.
I adore sport, swimming and dancing. I like to spend time cooking, making comfort at home and taking care of children. Also I enjoy travelling, going to the country and watching nature. I also fond of reading the books and watching movies.
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I am 25 years old (or young :)) and I am looking for a life partner aged between 27 and 42 years old (young :)) He should be intelligent, easy going, caring, loyal and decent – a good sense of humour is always a plus. He should want to have children with his future wife.
I′m a kind, intelligent, decent, sensual and sincere woman. I′m also easy-going and friendly. I am very optimistic and I believe in true lifelasting relationship and love. I dream about a big house full of children running and laughing and a loving husband who will be not only my best friend but a great father to our children.
I have lots of interests and hobbies: I like riding, diving and travelling. My dream is to find my soulmate and if life is good to us; spend a lifetime travelling together!
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We are convinced that animals are wonderful creatures that teach us unconditional love and loyalty.
We think of those furry friends not as pets or property, but as life companions.
This is just a simple but beautiful way of showing how much they mean to us.
Let your friend wear something 100% handmade with love and dedication by artisans.
Pata [paw] amor [love] refers to the unconditional love animals, in particular dogs, give to us. They devote themselves to the members of their human pack and all they ask in return is food, shelter, and some love.
We decided to call it PATAMOR to refer to that magic moment when our friends give us their paw and show that love and trust.


4th of July
A big thanks to my friends that made this one of the most amazing 4th of July holidays ever. Nananda, Amy, John, Fred, thanks for welcoming me on to your island and sharing all that you did. Greg and Paula, I love you guys. Thanks for paddling out to spend the holiday with me. Joe, thanks for being my travelling partner this past week. It was such an awesome thing to have you paddle with me.
Peace and Love to you all


I would like to share a story from a friend that I thought may interest you …
“I like to exercise at the gym in the early morning. I find that it flows nicely with my schedule and commitments. One night, when we were putting the kids to bed, my son asked if he would see me before he would go to school in the morning. I considered all of the possible responses. I even considered to skip the gym in the morning, so that I may see him. Then, I realized the best answer is honesty. So, I responded with ‘Son, unfortunately, you will not see me in the morning, because I’m going to the gym.’
He asked ‘Why?’.
I said ‘Going to the gym helps me to be a better father to you and a better husband to mom.’
I was pleasantly surprised when he simply smiled and said ‘OK’.”
Hope you enjoyed the story. Have a great week.


If you were invited to share this space, it is because we know that you are valuable to him/her. Don’t be afraid to show your love to him/her with words. Your message will be part of a beautiful gift that your child, sibling, friend, etc. will receive at the end of their training. Do not discuss this activity with them, as it will be a surprise. The deadline to share with them how much you value and love them through this channel is Thursday, June 8 at 24:00 hrs. Please set aside a few minutes to show these brave young men and women how much you love them and are grateful they are in your life.


Christmas Family Shoot | Toronto Area Family Photography
When Sabrina asked me to photograph her and her parents two days before Christmas I couldn't refuse. She wanted to give her parents this special gift because they hadn't had a family photo taken in over a decade! We were kept inside because of blustery winter weather, and did the shoot in the heart of their home...the kitchen. I also got to sample some of her mother's cooking, delish!