Daughter closes distance, wants dad back
Dear Only Child: Your father sacrificed everything for you during your own childhood. You were a self-admitted awful teenager, and then you chose to move 3,000 miles away for 15 years. (There is certainly nothing wrong with moving away from home. Your job as a young adult is to live your life, wherever you choose.)
When it served your interests to move back home, you did, and your father again stepped up to be a dutiful and devoted dad and granddad. But how much of his life does he need to devote primarily to you?
He has now found someone to share his life with full time, and you are pouring on the guilt.
Your father's new wife is close to your age, so you should try harder to befriend her.
It would be a kindness to him if you would stop blaming him and start trying to give back to him, being generous and behaving kindly toward his wife. They are together, and so treat them as a couple.
Unselfish, understanding and mature behavior would set a good example for your daughter, and might ease the path toward you getting what you want.
Dear Amy: My friend "Jack" and I have been best friends for more than 35 years.
We have raised our families together, vacationed together, worked for the same company in the same profession, etc. During this time I introduced Jack to my daughter's boyfriend, "Sam."
After a six-year relationship, Sam and my daughter broke up.
The breakup was very abrupt and was due to Sam's selfishness. Jack knows how my wife and I feel about Sam and how he hurt our daughter, but he continues to have a close relationship with him. Jack wants to stay best friends with me, regardless of his relationship with Sam. Am I justified to tell Jack that if he wants to keep his close relationship with Sam, then I will remain friendly but not keep the relationship we've had for all these years?
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