ArcaMax

Dear Eric: My father recently passed after a long battle with dementia. My 45-year-old son who was close to my father is an alcoholic. He was sober for almost two years and then relapsed a few weeks ago after learning my father was close to death.

He has mental health issues as well as abusing alcohol and has been in and out of rehab and sober ...Read more

Dear Eric: I was recently on a lovely group nature walk with a friend, who I hoped to

become something more with. The exercise and environment were romantic; the conversation was good and that continued for about three quarters of the walk.

Then, a man joined us on a break and started talking ... and talking and talking. If I tried providing ...Read more

Dear Eric: I'm a 70-year-old husband in relatively good health married to a wonderful 64-year-old wife, mother and grandmother to our grandchildren.

We just celebrated more than four decades together. She is my forever soulmate and I’m confident I'll always love her.

But it's been five years since we've had sex. I simply have lost my desire ...Read more

It’s unlikely that I’ll take up cattle ranching at this point in my life, so the ability to saddle up a horse and separate a steer from the herd isn’t a must-have skill.

But do I still want to learn how to do that at a visionary event called the Top Hand Cowgirl Challenge?

Oh, heck yes.

What’s drawing me, and the hundreds of other ...Read more

Dear Eric: I have lived in the same apartment complex for about 10 years. Years ago, the elderly couple next door started to leave me gift bags of items such as tea towels and candy bars.

At first, it felt sweet, but it has become burdensome. They acknowledge every holiday, including Mother’s Day (I am not a mother). I have always ...Read more

Dear Eric: My wife is retired and does the majority of grocery shopping and cooking. For the past year or so she has also insisted on packing me a lunch to take to work.

I’m a teacher and bringing lunch has been part of my daily routine for years (there’s no time in the school day to go out to lunch). She packs things like soups, salads or ...Read more

Black and white, right and wrong, cut and dried. I know how tempting it is to look for a “rule” or a quick answer in dating. Leave or stay? Unmatch or meet? But most things in life are not answered so simply. This week, we have several dating questions looking for a back-and-white answer … and I’m here to show the shades of gray.

...Read more

Dear Eric: We have friends, who we have not seen in more than a decade. Yet the wife sends us cards for every holiday, our birthdays and at Christmas, many times with gift cards enclosed.

For a while I told them to stop by and see us, or to call and chat. That never happens, and I am just wondering what her motivation is? Thanks for your ...Read more

Dear Anna,

I’ve been dating my boyfriend for about four months, and things have been going really well — or at least I thought they were. He’s always been really thoughtful over text, sending me these sweet, articulate messages about how he’s feeling or why he appreciates me. I’m not the most eloquent person, so I’ve always been a ...Read more

Dear Eric: My son has been married for 19 years. He has three children. In the beginning stage of his relationship with his spouse, I noticed that she only wanted my son to spend more time with her family. I was being observant in silence.

She recently told me she doesn't want her children around me anymore. She stated I don't come around ...Read more

Dear Eric: My parents divorced and my father remarried more than 20 years ago. My wife, our children and I would visit every year or two. The visits were cordial but fairly superficial so I did not have a strong relationship with my father or his wife.

My father passed away recently, and I have been dealing with his wife for the funeral ...Read more