ArcaMax

Dear Eric: I have a friend I've known for four years. We all live in a 55+ community and have moved here from different areas of the country. We are a group of women who get together on a regular basis for outings.

Over the past couple of months, I feel somewhat left out because of a couple of events I wasn't included in. But what I'm trying to...Read more

Dear Eric: Our grandson, who is still married but separated from his wife of five years, wants to visit at Christmas for a week with his new girlfriend. We would love for him to visit but not with any new friend.

How can we tell him without hurting his feelings and damaging our relationship? Or should we open up our home to him and his new ...Read more

Dear Eric: I have a good friend whose memory seems to me to be slipping. She laughs it off, saying she has so much going on that she can’t remember things, but I think there is something else happening.

Should I say something and encourage her to see a doctor? I could talk to her husband to see if he is noticing anything. Maybe he should be ...Read more

Dear Eric: My late mother made a special Christmas cookie that required tedious decorating, considering each person's personal preference for toppings, and giving them as gifts to family and friends. They always had a place of honor on our family Christmas table.

When she was no longer able, she gave me the cookie cutter, and my daughters and I...Read more

Dear Eric: I'm a 47-year-old guy who has been with my wife, 44, for 12 years. Six years ago, we made the decision to uproot ourselves from city life and buy an acreage. We had long discussions about what this would entail – the work it needs, maintenance, et cetera.

My wife was very keen on the idea, and she assured me that she would be ...Read more

Dear Eric: My parents immigrated after World War II, arriving with $20 and a lot of determination. They worked hard, built a home, a successful business and raised five kids who all went to college and had many more opportunities than they did. Both of our parents passed away a few years ago and I miss them dearly.

One of my brothers has a long...Read more

Dear Eric: I'm the first to recognize we live in a different world than 20 or 25 years ago. That is to say everything seems to have become so fast-paced; everyone is always busy, no time for anything, expectations of instant gratification.

Is it becoming more commonplace to forgo what was once common practice? Recently, a close (immediate) ...Read more

Dear Eric: I allowed the daughter of a cousin, with whom I am not close, to move in with me while she finishes college. When she moved in last January it was supposed to be for a semester, but this is the longest semester I have ever seen.

We had an incident where she left gobs of hair all over my bathroom, which I had to clean up. I told her ...Read more

Dear Eric: My daughter-in-law's mother asked my girlfriend to make a dessert for another daughter's bridal shower. My girlfriend made a tray of lemon bars, so it wasn't a huge undertaking for her.

The issue is that my girlfriend was not invited to the shower. She never charges people for when she makes desserts since she loves to bake. Are we ...Read more

Dear Eric: My goddaughter is getting married in December. Her parents have experienced crushing financial loss through no fault of their own. So, I told my goddaughter I would contribute $500 to the wedding dress.

She picked out a dress without consulting me that cost nearly 10 times that much and sent me a picture of the receipts. After much ...Read more

Dear Eric: I had a starter marriage many years ago that only lasted a couple of years. We got married too young and I quickly realized that I had nothing in common with my wife. We divorced but she returned to me after a few months wanting to get back together. The problem is she admitted cheating on me with a married man.

We tried to make a go...Read more

Dear Eric: I am the stepmother to two great young men. Their father and I have been together since they were teenagers. When they were young, it was a difficult but necessary position for me to be in when it came to teaching them about manners and household chores. They thought I was nagging them to put a napkin on their lap, take their hat off ...Read more

Dear Eric: I have an 18-year-old daughter who just moved four hours away to college. Her father and I have been separated for almost three years. Prior to moving to college, she visited him only during court-ordered visitation. She felt like he did not want her around or he made no effort to have a relationship with her.

She recently came home ...Read more

Dear Eric: Three years ago, I invited my 24-year-old son to stay with me in my one-bedroom condo while he saved for a place of his own. During that time, I struggled with alcohol and then needed emergency surgery for something unrelated that has devastated me physically, emotionally, financially and spiritually.

I maintained my sobriety for ...Read more

Dear Eric: My sister-in-law, Suzy, married John 51 years ago in a state distant from where we lived at the time. I am married to John’s older brother. I was seven months pregnant with our third child, and we were living paycheck to paycheck at the time, which made spending money on travel and accommodations a burden.

But the real reason I did...Read more

Dear Eric: My sister, Olivia, died unexpectedly about a year ago. I received the call. I in turn called my other brother and sister. Of my family, only Olivia and I were close. My brother bullied us mentally and physically during our childhood.

She has an adult son, who decided to let the state take care of things, as they were both transient. ...Read more

Dear Eric: The home next door is vacant. I think it is a rental property. There is a huge tree in the front yard that is coming over my property. A tree from this property fell on my house a few years ago. This caused my homeowner's insurance to be canceled because it was considered to be an act of nature.

I need to see if this can be avoided ...Read more

Dear Eric: My boyfriend and I have been in a relationship for four years. His daughter still lives at home. She's kind of estranged from her mother but still gets together with her on Sundays to go to church.

I spend the weekends with him. The issue is that the ex-wife comes into the house and now the ex-mother-in-law is coming over. He even ...Read more

Dear Eric: I have a 10-year relationship unmarried. My girlfriend continues to communicate with her 50-year-old son. Having him determine for her what to do in the relationship. She does not want to communicate with me. She tells me one day she loves me, the next day she does not want to talk.

Should I just end the relationship? I've tried to ...Read more

Dear Eric: Many companies are training their employees to "be friendlier." Now, when I go to pay for my groceries or have bloodwork done at a lab, someone invariably asks me, "so what are you doing the rest of your day?" I find that to be very intrusive from someone I don't know and may never see again. I understand they have been trained so it ...Read more