by GIFT Coach | Apr 20, 2016 | Blogs by Gayle Swift, General Discussion
Friday marks the celebration of Earth Day which puts me in mind of nature and the cycle of life. Seeds. Roots. Growth. Pruning. Grafting. Without roots, a plant cannot survive. Without leaves, sunlight, water it cannot flourish. In many ways trees serves as an apt...
by GIFT Coach | Apr 13, 2016 | Adoptive Parenting Skills/Tool, Difficult Discussions, General Discussion
For most of us the carefully wrought, precarious balance of our family systems depends on everything operating as expected. But what happens when an event smashes that equilibrium? Last week I had a come-to-Jesus encounter with that kind of disruption. I have...
by GIFT Coach | Apr 6, 2016 | General Discussion
All families have differences. We are after all, not clones but individuals. Adoptive families are even more likely to have areas where preferences and inclinations don’t quite synchronize. Most of the time we can appreciate the zest and spice that our...
by GIFT Coach | Mar 30, 2016 | Blogs by Gayle Swift, General Discussion
Did you know that March 29 is National Smoke and Mirrors Day? Smoke and mirrors is a familiar expression to describe the distraction techniques used by magicians as they try to entertain with their illusions. The audience enjoys the deception even while they struggle...
by GIFT Coach | Mar 23, 2016 | Blogs by Gayle Swift, General Discussion, Post Adoption Challenges & Behaviors
Subscribers to this blog know that I recently became a grandmother. My husband and I are fortunate to spend time with PJ while his parents work. This has provided many opportunities to connect with him, to be intentional about how we spend time together, and to make...