Our cat went missing this week. On the global scale of things, not exactly a major issue but for our family, it was huge. This little guy has captured our hearts and it was hard to think of anything else besides whether or not he was OK.

Before you tell me to settle down because let’s face it, cats do roam, let me explain my “why”. He was found by a neighbour as a tiny kitten, injured and on the brink of death. We never discovered what caused his trauma but he survived against the odds and made his home with our family of humans and pets.

As time passed, he grew into a strong and feisty boy but he remained vigilant especially when outdoors. He stayed near and never delivered any birds or mice as presents - thank goodness! At best, he managed to swat a passing fly or spider.

So we were worried. Very worried. We hunted high and low. We put food out. Left the garage door open. Watched the windows incessantly … but nothing.

And then, something interesting...

A few years ago I tried a low carb diet – you know the kind that sucks all the fun out of a burger? Is it even called a burger if there is no bun? Let’s face it, a true burger is the whole deal – bun on the bottom, filling in the middle and bun on the top. A sandwich of sorts.

Speaking of sandwiches reminds me of the "feedback sandwich". It’s an illustration I use with clients when talking about difficult conversations. Those conversations that need to happen but all too often, go horribly wrong.

Being around people in everyday life inevitably means that there will be problems from time to time. Perhaps there is an issue with sharing household chores or the less than stellar piece of work from a colleague. Maybe your child is refusing to do their homework or a friend has betrayed your trust. Small or big, these things typically get resolved (or not) through discussion.

Because it's challenging, we may get a bad case of wishful thinking and put it off hoping...