Our family of origin can make quite a difference in the way we respond to life, can’t it?  As in many families, sometimes things are “caught” more than “taught”, and that certainly was the case in mine. My father’s parents were Scandinavians, often known for being tough and enduring people, who aren’t highly emotive. I love my family, and I love the many great things I learned from them. However, on the emotional side of life, what was modeled was to bury everything deep inside. I grew up thinking that the way to handle life was to persevere at all costs, to be emotionally tough, and to never admit weakness.  So that’s what I did. In my 30’s, I started to face the consequences of this kind of behavior. I faced damage in my life because sometimes I submerged my feelings (by claiming that “nothing’s wrong), sometimes I hid my feelings (by crying alone in the shower), and sometimes I denied my feelings (by keeping busy).  Clearly, I struggled to understand and express my ...