Conflict is an inevitable part of life, but it need not always be painful. In fact, we all have within us the ability to sustain relationships even when we deeply disagree. When we reach our breaking point (as we all do), and need to walk away, we can do

I am in a relatively new relationship (2 months) with a wonderful man who I'm developing strong feelings for. I've had a lot of unsuccessful relationships in the past, and I want this one to go right. My question is, how much should I share about past rel

I'm 32 years old, and I'm really ready to have a serious relationship and move forward in my life. I'm doing online dating, but I'm also considering trying a professional matchmaker. I know that there are Jewish matchmakers, and secular ones like I see on

I am a 32-year-old widow who lost her beloved husband to cancer last spring. We had no children. Most of the marriage, he battled with cancer, and I took care of him. He is forever in my heart. While I know I am definitely not ready to date yet, I know it

I am a single, 34-year-old woman, and I am dreading the holidays. I recently got up the nerve to start trying to meet someone online, but I am feeling all of this pressure as December approaches, and I'm wondering if I should put dating on hold until afte

My brother passed away just over two years ago at just 32 years of age. His wife has remained connected to our family throughout the terrible period since, but lately she has begun to spend less and less time with us. Then, last week, she told me that she

I had a promiscuous period during college. I am a new woman today, and would never behave this way again. During the end of my "bad period", I began a friendship/courtship with my current boyfriend. After getting to know each other slowly, we fell in love

My wife and I got married in January. We have known each other for 12 years, and dated in high school. We broke up once, years ago, because of a rumor that I later confirmed to not be true. We have one of the most blessed marriages. Honesty and trust top

I am a 37-year-old female who has never really been in a relationship with a man. Until recently, I had been overweight all my life, but not obese. Men were always cruel to me and ruined my self esteem. Now that I've lost the weight guys are always lookin

I have been corresponding with a woman in Israel for close to two months now. I enjoy our e-mails, and she has taught me a lot about herself and her country. Over the past weeks I have begun to realize that she is everything I have been looking for. She i

I was in a horrible relationship for 5 years. We fought, yelled, cussed, and as a result, I created horrible communication habits. I am finding that these habits are translating to my new relationship. I have been in this new relationship for a year and h

I have been dating this guy for about 4 years, and when I started to talk about getting married, he said he does not want to ever get married. I have been trying to talk him into it and give him time, but am I just wasting my time? Should I just give up a

In my search for a soul mate, I'm giving up smart. which is a radical departure, since I've sought out smart men all my dating life. This wasn't so much a conscious decision as a gravitational pull that intellectual types have over me. I've dated so many

It is so important that we nourish ourselves -- body, mind and spirit -- and treat ourselves like goddesses. Being kind to oneself is a healthy habit to get into, and the best way to get into the groove is to set aside "Goddess Time" each week for you, an

I have fallen in love with a young man, and our individual faiths in God have recently become a problem in our relationship. I am a Christian (Baptist) who is trying to develop a stronger relationship with the Lord. My boyfriend, on the other hand, is exp

Dear Renita, I met a man online who I think is truly remarkable. His profile listed him as single, but when I met him I found out he was legally separated and living in his own apartment. He said that all of the accounts had been divided, and that there w

Dear Thomas, I have a beautiful 22-year-old daughter who has been raised in a very loving family. She seems to need, and looks for, this same kind of love in relationships with young men. She has had a couple of relationships, but they all seem to fall sh

Dear Thomas, Last night my boyfriend brought me dinner. The juice from the food was leaking, so he found a Walgreen's bag that was in his truck and put the food in it so it wouldn't leak on the seats. I took the food out of the bag and noticed a receipt t

Admittedly holidays can be hard if you don't have a special someone to share them with. But holidays also bring out the best in people -- the joyous, generous, celebratory side. Positive values are on display this season, along with the colorful store win

It's Friday. You have a 7 p.m. date scheduled with someone you've had your eye on for a while -- he's smart, good-looking, and funny. Just for kicks, you visit a fortune-teller for the inside scoop on your future with this guy. At first, the seer's words

If you're looking for the perfect soulmate, there is no need to haunt the bars, gyms, and other mating spots. Just keep a fast for Lord Shiva!

Sex therapist Gina Ogden had known for years that sexuality and spirituality are connected. But when she did a national survey of almost 4,000 women and men on their attitudes toward sex, she was amazed at how strong that connection actually is for so man

It's been my experience that only opposites attract because that's the nature of reality. There's a polarity in the universe physically that is also reflected in relationships, especially when it comes to personality traits. So a high-energy person will b

Phyllis Curott, 50, is an author, attorney and Wiccan high priestess. One of the Wiccan spiritual movement's most influential theologians, Curott lectures and teaches internationally and is also the Wiccan representative to Harvard University's Religious

As a celibate Catholic priest, you've probably been asked this before. How can you give advice to married people and people who want to get married?

It's that time of year again, when into the dark little month of December we squeeze Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, New Year's Eve, and a myriad of other celebrations...and all the office parties and community gatherings that go with them. Throw into the m

Do you feel adrift in the dating doldrums, stuck in the same tired bistro-and-movie rut as every Saturday night? Well, you're in luck, because here are eight ways to spice up your love life with soulful outings and activities to bring you and your sweetie

The end of a relationship is a universally painful and intense experience, one that is followed by a period of mourning and healing. Everyone recovers from a bad breakup differently, but all can benefit from thinking about the process in terms of spiritua

Dear Rabbi Boteach, How do you tell an Orthodox Jewish mother that you are dating a Catholic girl? I am a Jewish man who was raised Orthodox, but am not currently practicing. I am involved in a relationship with a Catholic girl who I love spending time wi

Valentine's Day has always been a Hallmark holiday, but the trend toward buying gifts rather than demonstrating love seems to get worse every year. Expect a cheap card or a chocolate-covered heart if you're dating or married to a real miser. If you're wit

Dear Thomas, What if a person thinks he has more than one soul mate and is having difficulty picking the one whom he wants to spend his life with-and each soul mate has different attributes about them that he loves. How to decide? -- Tom

Dear Thomas, I am a 22-year-old college student, and I am single. I am a virgin and have not had a serious girlfriend since I was sixteen. Hard work over the past year and a half has made me stable and confident enough to expand my social circle and join

Dear Thomas, My boyfriend and I have been together for a year. Lately, I've been feeling like the relationship has stagnated. I am not as excited about our future as I once was, and I really want a relationship that will lead to marriage and the next chap

Dear Thomas, I was recently divorced after a 22-year marriage. I feel I tried everything to make my marriage work and I have been hurt very badly. I would like nothing more than to have a relationship again and to love and be loved, but the trust thing is

Dear Thomas, I'm 23 and have fallen in love with a Jehovah's Witness. We've been together every day for 6 months. He hasn't practiced his religion since he was 21 (he is now almost 29). But he says he will more than likely go back to it when he has a fami

It took me about 200 miles to admit that I was wrong. A few hours back up the road, I had been slamming around the house, irritated that I was late leaving on a solo car trip, disorganized, frustrated, and my complaints were gradually enlarging to include

Dear Ms. Weems, My boyfriend and I have been together for almost three years. I am Christian and my faith is important to me, but his is not. We do have the same basic beliefs, but mine are much stronger. He used to come to church with me, but he doesn't

Dear Ms. Weems, I have been in a relationship for the past eight years with my son's father and am really wondering if it's time to move on. This would be a difficult thing. I love him, our child would never be if not for the love I feel for him. It is my

Dear Ms. Weems, I am a 36-year-old woman who is in a relationship with a 29-year-old man who relocated at the same time that I was diagnosed with breast cancer. Although he has been supportive, visiting me several times where I live with my family, I am h

"'Tis the season to be jolly" -- but suppose you can't find anything to be jolly about this holiday season? What if you're single, and the one significant relationship you had the first half of the year has just gone up in smoke? What if you just separat

Dear Ms. Weems, My wife and I were married for thirty years. She left me three years ago. It was very hard, because there is a grandchild we were raising. Anyway, now she wants to come back and start over again. Her lover turned out not to be what she tho

Dear Renita, I was raised Catholic and attended Catholic school most of my life. I have always believed in God. I have taken classes on both the Old and New Testament, recently becoming a more committed Christian. But there is one question I have not foun

Dear Renita, I'm going home to celebrate Christmas with my family, and bringing my Jewish boyfriend. He'll be meeting them for the first time-what's the best way to introduce him to the family and our celebration of the season without making him uncomfort

Dear Ms. Weems, I am so tired of feeling unworthy and unloved. I read everything spiritual I can get my hands on, I know I'm the love I seek, I'm there for friends whenever they call. I was married for almost 10 years to a man undeserving of my love. We h

According to Feng Shui (pronounced Fung Shway), the ancient Chinese art of object placement and design, it might not be all in your head, instead, it might just be in your bed, the correct positioning of it, that is!

Some relationships end with a bang. Mine ended with a whimper. I had been manipulated, lied to, and now, ignominiously -- via e-mail, "I think we should just be buddies" -- dumped. Pain, uncertainty, and rejection overwhelmed me until, as I cried myself

An elderly missionary, in talking about answered prayer, explained to a group of young women how she prayed and prayed for a husband to share in her missionary ventures. In response, one young woman asked, "But you never married, so how can you talk about

Dawn Eden, a writer and editor, is a self-described "agnostic reform Jew" and veteran of the New York City singles jungle who became an evangelical Christian and then a Catholic.

Do you know your date's soul? By "soul" I mean that immaterial, spiritual part of you that's deeper than your physical appearance. It's even deeper than your intellect or logical ability to reason. Your soul houses your deepest desires. These desires poss

Certainly primary among life's lessons is how to love and to love well, and to BE love, as well to give and receive it. I believe love is central to happiness, growth and fulfillment. How would Buddha love? By seeing every single being, human and otherwi

Dear Thomas, I'm 45 years old, and I'm losing hope of ever finding my soul partner. I have seen all six of my brothers and sisters go through marriages and divorces. I used to think that I was lucky to have seen what it was like and was glad I wasn't marr