ArcaMax

Dear Eric: My husband’s brother was a nice guy, albeit boring and a conversation hog. But he was family and we invited him, along with his wife and son, to our home over the years (they lived 500 miles away). He passed away three years ago.

His wife is one of the nastiest people I’ve ever met. She was verbally abusive to her husband, ...Read more

Dear Eric: I am regretfully asking myself if I have morphed into a de facto sugar daddy. I'm in a four-year live-in relationship with a 42-year-old woman. I am 70.

Many might think the 28-year age gap is prima facie evidence of a sugar daddy/sugar baby relationship. However, to date, the relationship has been the best, as it has been adorned ...Read more

Dear Eric: I have been a preschool teacher for more than 20 years. There are a few times throughout the year where the kids and their parents give us gifts, which of course is optional. Those occasions are Christmas, Valentine's Day, Teacher Appreciation Week and Graduation.

I have never asked for, nor do I expect to receive gifts from the ...Read more

Dear Eric: My mother is in her last months of life. She has been cared for in her home for the last three years by increasingly expensive home health care workers. I and other siblings have suggested over and over that she be put in a care home for round-the-clock care, but our oldest sibling (we’ll call them Jimmy) has steadfastly refused, ...Read more

Dear Eric: I'm a 73-year-old female who happily maintained a friendship I made my freshman year in college.

Two years ago, I noticed changes in my friend's ability to carry on conversations and her lack of awareness of current events. After Covid's isolation, she and her husband seldom left their house, and her husband spent more time on his ...Read more

Dear Eric: For Christmas my husband and I travel a few hours and stay at a hotel near our son’s family.

There is a man that works there readying the breakfast buffet. Each Christmas he gets dressed in a very festive outfit. And he mistakenly thinks that trying to bear hug strange hotel guests coming in for breakfast is a good thing to do.

...Read more

Dear Eric: For Christmas my husband and I travel a few hours and stay at a hotel near our son’s family.

There is a man that works there readying the breakfast buffet. Each Christmas he gets dressed in a very festive outfit. And he mistakenly thinks that trying to bear hug strange hotel guests coming in for breakfast is a good thing to do.

...Read more

Dear Eric: Like many people, my weight yo-yos. Over the decades, I have joined many weight-loss programs and got to my target weight on each (with 100 pounds being the most loss at one time). I stick to each program 99 percent of the time, finding the weekly weigh-ins to be very motivating.

I've picked up good habits from each (exercising five-...Read more

Dear Eric: I’ve been good friends with a woman for about five years now; we live abroad. However, I am not and never have been a huge fan of her new husband.

He talks over people or one-ups any statement and simply doesn’t listen. He can’t do turn-taking in conversation. I’ve asked a mutual friend if he is like this in his second ...Read more

Dear Eric: My parents are retired and enjoying the empty nest stage of life. They have a rather large home and my mother’s mobility has been severely hampered in the last few years.

They refuse to get rid of the things that no longer serve them. My mother over buys for everything and at times I think she forgets what they already have and ...Read more

Dear Eric: My husband and I have been going through some very tough times this past year and a half. My husband hurt his back very badly at work and he was given no disability or compensation. We have a court date in July to see about his case. He has been out of work due to his condition which is very stressful and we are spending money only on...Read more

Dear Eric: My husband and I are in our 70s and have never really been able to get close with our daughter-in-law.

She and our son have been married for 13 years. She is nine years younger than him and this is his second marriage. They have one child, who is 11.

She is always angry. She has a very explosive temper and yells, slams doors and has...Read more

Dear Eric: I’m in my early 30s and seeing a really great guy. He checks a lot of boxes for me and I’m happy with him. My boyfriend and I said “I love you” to each other a few weeks ago. He said it first, and I said it back. We’ve been dating for about six weeks, so this feels normal. This isn’t my first relationship, but it’s ...Read more

Dear Eric: For the past 10 years, a core group in our Homeowners’ Association (HOA) has been very close.

We get together on weekends, have meals together, attend HOA events and even go on vacations with each other. One member of our group is the HOA president and has held that position for more than 20 years.

While the HOA board funded many ...Read more

Dear Eric: My friend was recently diagnosed with ADHD. She is now continually late for events or doesn’t show up at all. On one occasion my friend was coming for dinner at my house. An hour before she was due, I got a text from another friend saying they were now having dinner at her place. My first friend didn’t contact me at all, not to ...Read more

Dear Eric: My youngest son is in his mid-40s. He had some heavy mental issues a few years ago and moved back home to our basement.

Prior to the breakdown his wife left him, he lost a job he loved and soon he started dating Leslie. She became pregnant and our beautiful granddaughter was born but passed at two months and two days from SIDS. Our ...Read more

Dear Eric: I guess I don't know how to let it go. My sister is five years older. There was a problem during a visit she made with her grandson more than 10 years ago. Her husband caused chaos and confusion, but she blamed me. She said she would never speak to me anymore and she hasn’t.

Our beloved sister passed this year. I called to inform ...Read more

Dear Eric: I have a few longtime friends. After four years of caretaking, my mom passed away from dementia. After that, I had to arrange for the selling of furnishings and the house. My 65-year-old brother who shared the house with her has cerebral palsy and required round-the-clock care. So, I had to arrange all that.

During this approximately...Read more

Dear Eric: I'm a freelance contractor, and a few years ago, I joined my local chamber of commerce and other networking groups to connect with potential clients. I was excited at first, but now I’m not sure what to do.

The chamber of commerce is mostly older men, and I'm a woman in my 30s. In these settings, the men tend to talk down to me or ...Read more

Dear Eric: I’ve been with my husband for 25 years. Twenty of those years I spent being a mother and a grandmother and a full-time employee. I had a nervous breakdown after my second child passed away from illness and I wanted to move away, but not with my husband. He insisted on coming. But ultimately, I did not find another position and ended...Read more