Twenty one summers ago, I was 24 years old and working as a unit head at a Montreal day camp. One afternoon, at dismissal time, I was handed an envelope by a staff member. I often got notes from the parents of my campers at the end of the day, and I was busy, so I handed it off to one of the counsellors to deal with. He opened the envelope and quickly handed it over to me. “I think this is for you,” he grinned. I grabbed it, read it, and started to cry. It was a marriage proposal and a ring. Seconds later, my then-boyfriend Lee popped out of the bushes, trailed by a friend with a video camera, and asked if I would be his wife.

My marriage is over…..what now? Is this a question that you would ever imagine asking yourself?  It certainly wasn’t for me. I never imagined that it would be ME.
I had never thought that my marriage would end and that I would have to go through the steps to a divorce.
I knew this was something that happened regularly, too regularly, but not to me.  I am someone who always believed that I would be in a long-term marriage – sure there are ups and downs in every marriage, but if you had ever asked me 5 years ago if I thought I would end up divorced, my answer would have been a strong and bold NO!

Tumbleweed_rolling As the owner of a dating events company, I am constantly immersed in the day to day trials and tribulations of anything and everything related to dating. Recently, a girlfriend of mine attended one of my speed dating events and wound up meeting a guy whom I felt would be a great match for her. You could imagine my delight when they hit it off so well that their first date followed that very same evening. Within a span of a week, they had been out a total of four times with him having made all the efforts to reach out, plan the dates and keep in touch almost daily. He was smitten!
Their last conversation was by phone and ended with a promise to follow up for their next date… and tumbleweeds.

cocktail-doctorjenn_comBeing a mother myself of two young kids, 5 and 8 years old, I participate in a lot of mommy talk.  There’s my parlor group, the ladies at PTA, at soccer, ballet, hockey, etc. etc.  Some of the most common discussions often revolve on how to prepare our kids for the world.  How to shelter them but also how to help them handle the stresses that will surely affect their lives as they grow and develop as people.

Whether you’re a seasoned dating veteran or just recently back on the scene, first dates can be nerve wracking— especially if a spark has ignited between the two of you already. What makes things more confusing is that everyone in your life has something to say...

My name is Stephanie Mitelman, and I am a certified sexuality educator. In this blog I will be addressing readers’ questions on sexuality, health, and relationships. Please don’t be shy to send me a question you have! I will be happy to answer one every month! I just had the Mirena IUD inserted. My doctor explained the basics, but what else do I need to know?