is Jackie Pilossoph's dating and relationships column, published weekly in Better Magazine
(previously in Chicago Tribune Pioneer Press)

I’m not going to sugarcoat it. As much as we love our families, they drive us nuts at times. Fortunately, going to work, sending the kids off to school, getting together with friends, shopping, or heading to the gym are great ways to get the space we need and to appreciate our loved ones when we walk in the door. But these days, the whole clan is always in the door, thanks to COVID-19. For the past few weeks and for who knows how much longer, families are home 24/7 and spending more time together than we ever have before.

Ask anyone. Online dating, especially after divorce is no picnic. The seemingly endless search for love can include everything from feeling rejected when no one’s swiping you, going on dates that are worse than a root canal, and realizing how tricky it is to weed out psychos, jerks and weirdos from cute, normal guys who could be a great fit.

I don’t know about you, but I feel like amid this time of fear, uncertainty, and gloom, I have seen so many beautiful gestures and acts of kindness from those around me.

For Karen Kaplan, a Highland Park-based author and speaker, true inner healing can only come through forgiveness. Kaplan, a mom of three, is no stranger to pain nor forgiveness.