ArcaMax

Dear Eric: I’m going to college out of state in the fall. My boyfriend was supposed to go to the same school as me but now it looks like he’s going to have to defer because of money. We’ve been together all through high school. Now he’s telling me he wants me to defer, too, so we can be together.

He’s being nice about it, but he says ...Read more

Dear Eric: Today I was shopping at one of the major chain stores, where I shop often. I checked my items out at the self-checkout line.

When I got to my car and unloaded my purchases, stuck in the back of the shopping cart there was a small item that I had completely overlooked.

I immediately took the item back to the store, checked it out and...Read more

Dear Eric: My family has always left shoes at the door, except for occasional circumstances like parties, et cetera. Those who prefer wearing shoes, have shoes that they only wear indoors.

My significant other does not really understand this concept. He makes numerous trips to the garage and outdoors and wears those gritty shoes in the house. I...Read more

Dear Eric: We are newly pregnant with our fourth child. A month ago, my newlywed best friend told me his wife was pregnant. We were extremely excited for them, however they lost their baby in the first trimester and are taking it hard, as any anxious and excited parent would.

Having gone through the same in our first pregnancy, I remember the ...Read more

Dear Eric: I am currently going through a terrible divorce that has left me nearly destitute in my mid-40s with a 3-year-old child to raise alone. In one last ditch effort to save our home, I decided to take in a renter. My cousin, who is also experiencing financial difficulties, agreed to move in for one to two years to help out.

I also live ...Read more

Dear Eric: My sister passed away without a will or trust. Our sister-in-law told me that my sister told her that she wanted all her things sold and divided up and given to the niece and nephews. My sister never told me anything.

There is a good amount of money now to divide up. I am the personal representative and would like to know what is ...Read more

Dear Eric: I’m 70 and very happily married (together 38 years). We both love music and lately after seeing a performance, there’s a meet-and-greet with the musicians. A particular musician and I have chatted several times. The last time, I got an autograph and a hug. I am on cloud 9!

I love my spouse (I would never cheat) and I have assured...Read more

Dear Eric: I live with autism spectrum disorder and have been in regular, independent housing since I was 19. I'm 55 and I've managed to work full time for almost 10 years in spite of previous employment where I was harassed due to discrimination because of my neurodiversity. I'm settled into a new career in an accommodating environment that's ...Read more

Dear Eric: Like many women in perimenopause, when my hormones started getting out of whack, I gained about 25 pounds due to a sudden and uncontrollable hunger (estrogen helps moderate ghrelin, the hunger hormone). When I finally started hormone replacement therapy, I got the constant hunger and other issues back under control and worked hard to ...Read more

Dear Eric: My niece, age 31, is getting married in the fall and has told me that I can't bring my boyfriend ("S") of five years because there isn't "room." I offered to pay for his meals, extra seating, et cetera, but she will not budge.

I found out that the real reason is that she hasn't met him and they only want people they know at the ...Read more

Dear Eric: I have had a friend “Tillie,” for 35 years, and I love her dearly. We have been through a lot together and helped each other through many tough times. But Tillie has changed over the past few years. Essentially, she has become what I would call a “taker.”

For example, she looks to others to treat her to lunches but never ...Read more

Dear Eric: In the spring I attended an event and sat next to a woman around my age who was absolutely delightful. We discovered we had a lot in common and had a great old time.

At that luncheon I was willing to share personal things right away and I know I gave off messages that would suggest that I am indeed open to a closer relationship. I ...Read more

Dear Eric: I recently discovered that my younger brother (age 72) has been taking advantage of my elderly uncle (age 92), who has dementia. My cousin, who thankfully has power of attorney, uncovered checks made out to the brother. The brother initially denied the checks, but when confronted with the evidence, he rationalized them by claiming the...Read more

Dear Eric: A few years ago, my 24-year-old child came out as nonbinary and chose a new name, “Avery.” While the adjustment hasn’t always been easy, most of our immediate family now use Avery’s new name and pronouns. The exception is my husband’s parents, especially my father-in-law, who does not accept Avery’s identity and has ...Read more

Dear Eric: A year and a half ago, I moved in with my mother. It was her idea, as I was having financial and health difficulties. I resisted at first, but eventually it became my only option.

My life situation improved for a while, but I recently resigned from a stressful job at her urging. I am close to retirement age and have had difficulty ...Read more

Dear Eric: I had a casual friend, Casey, in high school but didn't reconnect until a few years ago. She is driving me crazy with her relentless, impossible to answer questions, as well as her predicting and assuming what my family members will do or say in any given circumstance, despite never meeting them.

At one point, when I had surgery, she...Read more

Dear Eric: My 93-year-old Dad passed away recently, and my brother and I are planning a memorial service. Our mother died several years ago. Mom and Dad stayed married despite the fact that Dad came out as gay around 2000. He had a very close relationship with a man, “Douglas,” for many years, although they were just friends when Dad died.

...Read more

Dear Eric: After two decades working in the same organization and several years in my actual position, I've been wanting a change. I actually like my job but now in my mid-40s feel like I need to change things up for the second half of my career.

Between my wife's income and some savings, we could get by financially for a while.

I've resigned ...Read more

Dear Eric: Yesterday a cousin sent me a photo of a group of family members taken the morning after my father's funeral about 30 years ago. It included my mother, two sisters, an uncle, my brother-in-law and me. Most of us were still in our nightclothes, as it was taken early in the morning before other relatives left to return home.

With the ...Read more

Dear Eric: My spouse is unable to say "Oops, sorry." He automatically denies having done the thing or blames me or my son – even if he literally just did it in front of me/us.

It's been an issue for decades. We first went to counseling because he left a shower head pointing at a weird angle, so water got all over the wall and floor when I ...Read more