Happy New Year

 

WE’RE BACK! HAPPY NEW YEAR to each of you! I wish you good health, happiness and prosperity in 2012.

 

It seems like a long time since we last chatted. I know that MEND was missed in December, 2011. I got a lot of calls and e-mails from anxious readers seeking their monthly dose of “peacemaking”. Sorry we left you hanging. A couple challenges caused Superwoman (as I fondly refer to myself sometimes), to stop dead in her tracks and take some time off to “smell the roses” (isn’t it a travesty then that the number of scented varieties of roses is decreasing in our modern world?). To all who expressed concern and sent good wishes, I thank you. I’m now all fired up and rearing to go! Can you hear my engines revving?

 

In this issue, I have given you some food for thought with the suggestion of a new regime for the resolution of family conflicts in the section, MEDIATION AT WORK. I have also looked at how the word “mediation” can sometimes be misleading. Check out that article which is IN THE SPOTLIGHT. Your old favorites, the ASK KATHY and DID YOU KNOW columns, are back in their ususal spots. Happy reading!

 

I want to challenge each of you to give mediation a more prominent place in your lives this year–whatever your professional capacity. Mediation is not the sole preserve of lawyers after all! Whether it’s choosing mediation for the resolution of personal conflicts, including a mediation component in the grievance procedures at your workplace or even just applying one or two mediation techniques in your communications with others, let 2012 be a year in which you give mediation a real chance.