When Valentine's Day is Hard - THE AWKWARD MOM

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When Valentine’s Day is Hard

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valentine's day is hard

For some of you–Valentine’s Day is not a fluffy pink cloud, studded with chocolates. For some of you, Valentine’s Day is hard.

We stayed married another day. Three cheers.

People are celebrating the ones they love, spewing poetry and love songs. And that only accentuates the fact you’re bruised; you’re with someone you’re tolerating, maybe for the sake of the kids.

If this is you–I’m writing to you today over at FamilyLife.com, “What about Valentine’s Day when marriage is hard?”

I’m hoping you feel seen. And I’m hoping you feel hope.

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P.S. I found a typo in last week’s Valentine’s Day Bingo (left over from Thanksgiving Bingo, in case you wondered why I was asking about the pilgrims?). Find a correction here.

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About author

Janel Breitenstein is the author of Permanent Markers: Spiritual Life Skills to Write on Your Kids’ Hearts (Harvest House, 2021), plus a few more in the pipeline—including IRL Parent Prayers (Andrews McMeel) and The Cool Mom: Putting Anger on Ice When Life Boils Over (Kregel). Her work can be found on Christianity Today, Focus on the Family, and FamilyLife. She graduated summa cum laude from John Brown University and began her career with NavPress, where she worked on The Message Bible. She then moved to FamilyLife Publishing. In January of 2012, Janel and her husband packed up their family of six and moved to Uganda to serve with Engineering Ministries International (eMi), an organization focusing on poverty relief and development, providing structural design and construction management for Christian organizations in the third world. After five and a half years there in East Africa, she and her family returned to the U.S., where they continue to work on behalf of the poor. She speaks, writes, and loves on her family from Colorado. Her fresh, authentic, intimate style connects with readers around the globe. You can find her—“The Awkward Mom”—having uncomfortable, important conversations at JanelBreitenstein.com.

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"We Never Fight": The Problem with Zero Conflict - THE AWKWARD MOM - 2 years ago

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I'm totally #thatmom--the one diving into all the weirdness with my kids, sidestepping a few eyerolls.

Pull up a chair for practical ideas and discussions on the parenting, relationships, and spirituality we're all army-crawling through every day.

After five and a half years in Uganda, my family and I returned to the U.S., where I write and speak professionally, and we continue to work on behalf of the poor.

My first solo book, Permanent Markers: Spiritual Life Skills to Write on Your Kids' Hearts (Harvest House), released October 2021.