Not-quite-love doesn't quite work
You need to ask yourself if you want your young children to be in a family with a man who almost loves their mother. You should also ask yourself how you would react if one of your children reported that they were making a similar emotional compromise.
Two years is a long time. If he doesn't love you by now, it's hard to imagine what circumstances might arise for him to love you later.
Watch the wonderful movie "Jerry Maguire," which is about a couple with a similar dynamic; understand that you are not likely to have a similar happy ending.
Dear Amy: I come from a loud, large family of seven -- mostly boys. I am the youngest, and growing up I was the easiest target for their teasing and roughhousing.
As I've grown older, I've realized that being ridiculed so much that I cry is not a normal thing that should happen between siblings.
I've tried to talk to my parents about it, but they say it's all in good fun. My siblings don't respect it when I ask them to take it easy on me, either.
I feel like I can't talk to any of them about these issues, including the fact that I was hospitalized for mental instability brought on by their teasing.
How do I politely tell my family that they are causing me these problems, and therefore I do not want to come to family events? Or do I shut my mouth and go, letting them treat me so poorly?
-- Worried
Dear Worried: You should not shut your mouth and let your family members bully you. You should not willingly place yourself in any environment where you are going to be belittled and abused. And you should not worry about being polite.
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