Life Advice
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Asking Eric: Sister has too many opinions about nephew’s wedding
Dear Eric: I’m conflicted about whether or not to invite my sister to my son’s wedding.
My sister and I have never been close. She was never very kind to, nor interested in, my son, my husband or me. We’ve had entire decades of silence while she lived a relatively chaotic life. She’s divorced, estranged from her adult children and her ...Read more
Not My Package, Not My Problem
Dear Annie: I have a new neighbor who recently moved in. She orders a lot of things online, which I have no problem with. However, there've been times she's had her packages shipped to my house or to other neighbors' homes. Why she does this, I don't know.
At first, I had no problem with it and would just walk her packages across the street ...Read more

Asking Eric: Old friend invites herself on trip with new friends
Dear Eric: I have a friend I have known since third grade. She lives in another state. Recently, I went on a trip with three of my other friends in the state where this friend lives. She is a very good friend but quite opinionated and comes on a bit strong.
Since we were close by, she asked if she could join us. I felt uncomfortable asking my ...Read more
Same Secret Shatters Our Second Chance
Dear Annie: My husband and I have been married nearly 15 years and have three young children. Until about five years ago, I would have described our marriage as good. Then he suffered an injury that left him with chronic pain and depression and caused him to emotionally withdraw from me -- while I carried the extra household, yard and child ...Read more

Asking Eric: Friend’s erratic driving causes concern
Dear Eric: My friend and I are in our mid-70s. We participate in several activities together – a book club, a continuing education class, et cetera. We often carpool together. I have begun to be very alarmed about my friend’s driving habits. She brakes unexpectedly, veers across the center line and seems quite distracted. I’m more and more...Read more
Sister-in-Law Strikes Back
Dear Annie: I never thought that I would be writing a complaint to one of these columns, but here it goes. I married my husband 12 years ago, and I was excited because that meant (well, I thought) that I would be getting seven sisters. My husband is the only boy among seven girls.
Well, his youngest sister has an attitude as thick as molasses...Read more

Ask Anna: My boyfriend doesn't think I'm 'hot' -- how do I deal with that?
Dear Anna,
I’ve been dating my boyfriend for almost a year, and for the most part, things are great — we’re even talking about moving in together. But recently, during a conversation about past relationships, he admitted he doesn’t find me physically “beautiful.” He said he thinks I’m pretty and loves my personality, intelligence ...Read more
Single File: Marrieds -- A Close-up
Indulge me if you will, dear reader, and agree to take a test. (Nothing written. I promise.) Over the next few weeks, I want you to make a point of closely observing married couples -- your parents, friends, relatives -- being careful, of course, not to make them feel as if they're under a microscope. (That alone requires tact, so there may be ...Read more

Ask Dating Coach Erika: How do I not lose hope that I'll find the right person?
I understand how frustrating dating can feel sometimes, especially when you feel like you’ve been putting yourself out there over and over again. Feelings of frustration are valid.
My first question is this: Are you putting yourself out there in a productive way? Are you on two dating sites? (My recommendation is two, and if that feels ...Read more

Asking Eric: Living with Alzheimer’s leads to social isolation
Dear Eric: I was diagnosed some years ago with Alzheimer's. My husband of 45 or so years is wonderful but even he and many of my friends do not understand that I no longer have choices. I know they all mean well, but I have always been a very social person. I love to sing, having taken two years of voice lessons. I love to dance and watch movies...Read more
Hurting for My Son
Dear Annie: I'm a mother of four, and a few years ago, during a difficult time, my former in-laws generously fostered my two youngest children, now 13 and 9. They've remained involved and caring, and I'm truly grateful.
The problem is my 13-year-old son often feels left out. He has ADHD and ODD, and while he can be challenging, he's also ...Read more

Asking Eric: Aunt and uncle hear nothing after sending check for college expenses
Dear Eric: Last August, my husband and I told his niece that we would help with her daughter’s college expenses. We sent $2,000 to the college for the first semester. We received a thank-you text from his niece but nothing from the student. We eventually told the grandmother, my husband’s sister, that we expected something from the student ...Read more
More Than a Gut Feeling
Dear Annie: I am a 43-year-old woman with a 6-year-old daughter. Her father is 50. We were never in a serious relationship, just friends with benefits, until I became pregnant. At first, he wanted nothing to do with the baby and even pushed for an abortion. I chose to continue the pregnancy, and eventually he came around and was there during ...Read more

Asking Eric: Friends disappear after terminal diagnosis
Dear Eric: I have been diagnosed with a terminal disease (ya, it's lousy) and my outlook is just a year or so. I have let very few people know. Most are very sympathetic and supportive, but a couple have totally withdrawn. Should I try to connect with them? Or just let it go?
I mean, there's nothing that anyone can do, but it seems like a kind ...Read more
Parenting Comes Full Circle
Dear Annie: When my daughter was little, I met with a potential employer who asked about my family. I told him I had a 2-year-old, and he said something I've never forgotten: His daughters were grown, and his greatest joy was talking with them as adults and realizing he had raised two amazing women. Now, at 75, I understand exactly what he ...Read more
Millennial Life: There Should Be Signs
There's a joke that goes, "I wouldn't tell anyone that I won the lottery, but there would be signs." Most recently, I told a friend that I'd buy her a vintage car that could park next to my brand-new-to-me DeLorean.
My fantasy of coming into money -- maybe through the lottery, or forgotten Bitcoin, or a long-lost magical trust fund -- always ...Read more

Asking Eric: After getting caught and failing polygraph, husband still swears he’s not unfaithful
Dear Eric: My husband has been having an affair with a neighbor two doors down. Not only have I caught them multiple times, but I also confronted both separately, and recorded video and audio after telling them I would.
He said he wanted to take a polygraph; he failed on every question, on two separate polygraphs by two separate companies.
I�...Read more
Boundaries in Shared Spaces
Dear Annie: When my husband and I retired, I imagined we'd spend more time together -- relaxing, traveling, maybe picking up some hobbies. But to my surprise, he dove headfirst into a new phase of life, setting up a home office to work on electronic projects he never had time for during his career.
The problem was, I kept interrupting him ...Read more

Asking Eric: Wife left a gift to niece in her will, but husband hesitates to hand it over
Dear Eric: When my wife and I updated our wills, she designated a diamond tennis bracelet and diamond stud earrings to her niece (she had no biological children of her own). Later that month my wife was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer to which she would succumb 19 months later. My daughter (my wife’s stepdaughter) is a radiation oncologist ...Read more
Close, Closer, Committed?
Dear Annie: I recently reconnected with a former co-worker I was very close to -- so close that many of our co-workers once thought we were dating, which was a big no! When we ran into each other, we shared a longer than normal embrace, and she gave me a peck on the cheek. I did the same. We agreed to a dinner date that upcoming weekend.
When...Read more
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