Jay and Erica

Talk about time marching on. This week, my 29-year-old son, Jay, celebrates his third wedding anniversary, just as I celebrate my 33rd! Good grief, I must be getting old. First, because I have a 29-year-old, and second because I’ve been married 33 — count ‘em — 33 years! I started thinking back on my third anniversary and reflecting on where I was in my life compared to where Jay and the world is on his third. Times, they are a changing!

I was 28 on our third anniversary, Jay is 29 on his, so some similarity there. Robin and I were living in a fairly small North Texas community, where I was just starting my practice as a clinical psychologist. I was an absolute dyed-in-the-wool workaholic, literally working 18 to 20 hours a day. I had a clinical practice (Fees were about $35 or $40 an hour!) I’ve always kind of had a strategy of marketing my education in non-traditional ways, so in addition to a typical therapy practice, I also saw patients at the hospital for pain and chronic disease management and rehab, and I even did work in the corporate arena, doing management and leaderships training for businesses like banks and manufacturing plants. I worked relentlessly and stayed very, very busy. I was just totally on the run, determined to conquer my corner of the world! (more…)