It has been quite a week! I’ve had clients pour in from near and far. My children are on school holidays (three full months!). The task of keeping them somewhat occupied is no easy one. The house is a mess, the laundry pile grows and grows despite my daily laundry ritual. Someone’s always hungry! Then, to cap it all, about three weeks ago a little dog came walking along our street dragging a leash. I took him to three local vets to advertise his decision to move into our house and to check if he had an identification chip implant!

We’ve named him Maximilian Goodrich Temba Smith but we call him “Max.” This Chihuahua thinks he has landed in heaven.

Amidst all the chaos and activity, I deeply enjoy the ongoing dialogue with ‘You and Me’ readers (aka “Take Up Your Life” and “Difficult Relationships” depending on where you are reading) who readily allow me (and now “us”) into their private pains, joys, small and large successes, while we all search for deeper meaning in busy, full lives.

Next week my children and I will be in Phoenix, Arizona where I will speak at a camp. Then we’ll whip up to the Grand Canyon and attend a wedding reception in Southern California – before we head back to Indiana, and back to school! I’ll be writing ‘You and Me’ from the road! Please be patient, the Internet is not available everywhere, and posting for four other writers could become cumbersome — but I will do my best.