Blessings On Blessings

Kathy and I celebrated our 10th anniversary on July 6, and that weekend the kids popped for dinner. That's why I'm talking about. Because my younger daughter, Lindsay, couldn't be present -- she was at work down at Camp Stevens in Julian -- it wasn't quite perfect. But nearly so, thanks to (beginning over my bald head) stepson Dan, future son-in-law Mark, stepdaughter Meaghan, honorary daughter Ciara, Meg's friend PJ, and my elder daughter, Valerie. What can I say but that blessings abound?

Kids Today

Interviewing Madonna about her upcoming movie, "W.E.," The Daily Beast reminds us how hard adolescent girls can be on their mothers:

In December, while she was getting ready for a screening of her movie, her 15-year-old daughter, Lourdes, walked into the room and vetoed her mom’s proposed outfit: a corset with fishnets and no pants.

Brief Empty Nest Inspection

My favorite Christmas Day photo -- Kathy after making the day festive for everyone, Lindsay rocking her Nepalese cap from Joshua Tree and getting set for the snows of Washington State, Valerie and Mark experiencing their last single Christmas, and Meaghan and Dan a few hours before their flight to London.

The Kids At Christmas

At home in Yorba Linda, Dan, Mark, Valerie, Lindsay, and Meaghan

At St. John's before midnight Mass, Julianna, Caden, and Davey

The Great Post-Feast Of Easter

After Easter services, we go to brunch at El Adobe in San Juan Capistrano. Daughters Lindsay and Valerie are flanking Valerie's boyfriend, Mark. Below is Kathy's son, Dan, teaching a family friend, 20-month-old Eilee, how to play air mariachi guitar.

Seventh Night

Sixteen-month-old Eilee provided a whole evening's entertainment at our family dinner tonight.

Family Still Appointed, So Preaching Not Anointed

The New York Times on troubles at the Crystal Cathedral in Garden Grove, California -- basically $46 million in debt and (are you listening, Kathy?) the politics of family entitlement:

Things fell apart when the younger Mr. Schuller tried to institute basic good governance rules used by many nonprofit organizations. He wanted to remove anyone with a conflict of interest from the board. That meant unseating some of his sisters and their husbands as well as his parents, who were also employees.

The coup came in July 2008. Mr. Schuller said he was told his preaching was “not anointed.” A three-person Office of the President — two of whose members were his brothers-in-law — was created to run the cathedral. He was given the limited role of pastor of the local congregation, and removed from preaching on “Hour of Power.” He quit.

Thanksgiving Acceptance

Don't absorb too many lessons from your family over Thanksgiving, Brian Alexander advises on MSNBC:

Don’t overreact to the negative things you see in the relationship between mom and dad. Instead, the goal should be to reach a kind of “comfortable acceptance” that a little conflict is OK, said [therapist and NYU Prof. Judth A.] Siegel. Otherwise, “you may be silenced or become passive and withdrawn. You need a voice to express your differences and disappointments,” she said.

Overreaction is not uncommon, especially if you’ve been away from mom and dad for awhile. The trick is to avoid locking yourself into a pattern just because your folks drive you nuts.

For example, if you’re a woman who sees her mother taking a lot of guff from pops, and you tell yourself “I will demand respect!”, you may shut yourself off from constructive, legitimate criticism.