Patrick Ward, PhD » christmas

Being Present for the Presents

Patrick Ward — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 16:52:23 +0000

Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. And today? Today is a gift. That’s why we call it the present ~Babatunde Olatunji Continue

Traits of Healthy Families – Part 5

Patrick Ward — Tue, 15 May 2007 20:50:22 +0000

Ready or not, the holidays are upon us! Hopefully this means you are excited and in the spirit rather than stressed out by this holiday season. It has worked out well that this last column on traits of healthy families will cover traits that show how important the holidays can be to your family wellness. This is the last installment in a series on the 15 traits of healthy families identified by family expert Dolores Curran. The three traits left to discuss are that healthy families have rituals and traditions, value service to others, and have a shared religious core. Continue

Parents Unite! Take Back Christmas!

Patrick Ward — Sat, 02 Dec 2006 21:16:48 +0000

With the end of Thanksgiving, the “Holiday Season” is in full swing. In addition to the everyday grind, there is all this extra stuff to do to get ready for the holidays: shopping, baking, planning reunions, planning parties, wrapping, decorating, putting Christmas trees in stands, getting hunters out of tree stands, and numerous other tasks. Why do we put ourselves through this every year? The Scrooges and Grinches of the world see it as a waste of time, all this pointless effort for one frenzied day of consumerism. Those who love Christmastime hold this time as a special time of togetherness with family and friends. Continue