The Rain Doesn't Fall Straight Down : A Positive Slant on Marriage Relationships Book

	Introduction	11
Part 1	What Marriage Therapists Do When They Are Cookin'
	The Rain Doesn't Fall Straight Down	17
	My Life as a Relationship Columnist	19
	I'm Not Writing About You	21
	What You Can Learn From A Turkey	24
	Refereeing	26
	There Is No Correlation Between Hope and Advice	28
	Lost in Space	30
	Dogs Help with Counseling	32
	Relationship Requirements Not Complex	34
	Sustaining Optimism	36
	A Weird Plan for Helping Couples	38
	Relationship to the Unconscious	40
	Be Brave in Confronting Marital Roadblocks	42
	The Reluctant Mate	44
	Chuck's Universe	46
Part 2	Essays In Support of Children, Teen-agers, and Family Life
	The Origin of Fairy Godmothers	50
	Home as a Sanctuary	53
	The Family Meal is Not Just for Eating	55
	Kids Can't Handle Parents' Stress	57
	Kids Need Absent Dad's Time	60
	Children's Day	62
	Great Gifts	64
	Teenagers, What Helps?	66
	Teen-age Alcohol Abuse	69
	Teens' Feelings Need Listeners	72
	When Idols Fall	74
	The Drummer Boys	76
	Edward the Bear	79
Part 3	Couples in the Troubled Times
	Dancing Through Life-Married	84
	Who Gets More out of Marriage, Men or Women?	87
	Marriage Is Like Car Ownership	90
	Let's Hear It for Ordinary Relationships	92
	The Life and Times of Polly Mathis	94
	Fighting is Normal in a Real Relationship	97
	Savers and Thrower-outers	99
	Appreciation Can Be Found in One's Soul	102
	Couples Need Community	104
	Kindness Rejuvenates a Relationship	106
	Who Was 'Too Young' When They Married?	108
	Zigzag in the Marital Garden	111
	Husbands Beware	112
	Strategy for Men	114
	Tone of Voice	116
	A Woman's Relationship Readiness	118
	Mystery of Midlife	120
	The Promise Keepers Meet Men from Mars	122
	Cyber-romance and Intimacy	124
	Why Smart People Do Dumb Things	127
	Proper Emotional Closeness Requires Maintenance	129
	Covenant Relationships Have a Spiritual Dimension	131
	Lesson from the Birds	133
	Battling the Inner Critic	135
	Don't Wait on Love. Create It!	137
	Intimacy isn't Easy	139
	Sandra and Rob After 20 Years	141
Part 4	Mothers, Daughters, and Other Loving Expressions
	Is Your Mommy Still with You?	146
	Mothering Comes in Different Packages	149
	Thoughts for the Next Generation	151
	Make the Marriage as Important as the Wedding	153
	Wedding Ceremony Has Power	155
	Why Do People Cry at Weddings?	157
	Differences Can Solidify Relationships	159
	Relationships Need Help from the Saints	161
	Love Always Changes	163
Part 5	Divorce and Various Reflections
	What's New in the New Year?	167
	Good Guys and Bad Guys in Divorce	170
	Divorce Isn't What It Used To Be	173
	Divorce is Not in Logical Order	175
	Holiday Boozing	177
	Don't Marry a Foreigner	179
	Keep in Touch with Old Friends	182
	New Century Advances Go Only So Far	184
	In Your Dreams	186
	Positive Work Relationships Work Better	189
	Positive Relationships	191
	Buried Treasure	194
	Bibliography	197