ArcaMax

DEAR HARRIETTE: Lately, I've been getting incredibly tired of social media. I see the same posts over and over again and the same people over and over again. I would like to remove myself from my social platform, but I'm also afraid that I'll be missing out. I've been feeling unhappy with the posts of social unrest and people's political views, ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: My girlfriend has been looking for a new job for a while, and she finally got a job as a server at a high-end bar and restaurant. The problem is that she wasn't totally honest with me about what kind of job it actually is. I researched the place and found out that the waitresses are required to wear really revealing outfits. I ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I am the mother of a beautiful and talented 23-year-old daughter. I have always wanted her to date and marry someone who was established, educated and of Christian faith. My daughter recently told me that she has started a relationship with a 28-year-old department store worker. He did not go to college, he is not a faithful ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: My two best friends and I go out to dinner every Friday night. We started this tradition after I got a huge promotion at my job and treated everyone to dinner. This happened several months ago.

Both of my friends have their own jobs and make good money. The problem is that they still expect me to pay the bill every time we go ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I have a loudmouth neighbor who has been remarkably quiet recently. She told me that she got cancer and was going to have to undergo treatment. My guess is that this is why she has gone radio silent. I see her husband and son from time to time; when I ask them how she's doing, they are pretty tight-lipped, but I can tell that ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: My ex-husband remarried a little while ago, and they eventually had a child. He and I share two kids from our marriage.

My oldest is starting to realize that the new child is getting a lot more attention than he did from his dad growing up. My oldest is in his late 20s now, so it seems kind of random for him to be harping on ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: My brother has been really depressed lately and is gaining a lot of weight as a result. I've noticed him eating a lot and not exercising at all. It's been gradual; since last November, he's been slowly gaining more and more weight. I think losing our great-aunt may have triggered this depression. They were very close, and he ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I've been around the same church community for practically my entire life. I'm moving to a new town where I know hardly anyone, so I'm going to have to find a new church family. I have no idea where to begin since I don't have any connections in the new town. I'm in my late 20s, and I want to find a young church with traditional ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I joined a dating app a couple of months ago, and I connected with a really nice man who met all of my requirements. It wasn't until about two weeks ago that he started showing serious signs of instability. For example, if I'm busy and cannot answer my phone, he will call and text me incessantly. He's even gone as far as to call ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: My best friend and I have been neighbors for 20 years. For 20 years, she's been a short walk away from my home; she's always been there whenever I've needed her (and vice versa). Recently, she told me she accepted a position in another state. Although I'm happy for her, I'm devastated that she is moving so far away from me. I'm ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I've recently started dating a woman who is a lifelong vegan. She is very health-conscious, and she even has a website and YouTube channel dedicated to her plant-based lifestyle. While I admire her dedication to veganism, I myself have never been a vegan, nor do I wish to be.

My girlfriend has joked a few times about how she ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I'm a 20-year-old college student, and my mom recently got engaged to her boyfriend of two years. She's been a single mom for pretty much my entire life, and I'm nervous about her taking this next step. Her boyfriend seems cool, but I really don't know him all that well since they started dating while I was away at school. I want...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: My best friend was housesitting for me while I went out of town for a few weeks to visit family. One of the most important tasks I gave her while watching my house was to take care of my houseplants. My plants are very large and require proper care and sunlight, or they will quickly start to wither and die.

When I got back, my ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I've known the man who I am currently seeing for three years. We've never been in a relationship before -- we've always just been long-distance friends. It is almost as if we are pen pals. We met through social media.

My friend has always lived in a different state, and it wasn't until the end of last year that we finally got to...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I'm 30 years old, and I've always been really insecure about my body. During the summer, my friends and I have pool parties and beach days. All of my friends wear bikinis, even though not all of them have perfect bodies. I admire and envy their confidence; I simply don't have it. I am so insecure about my body that I have not put...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: Whenever I talk to my sister, we have some kind of an argument. She is older than me, and she just can't help herself. She always finds a way to jab at me and make herself look better. I am so sick of it. But here's the thing -- while she can be rude and mean to me, I have discovered that she brags about me when she talks to ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: Now that a lot of people are getting vaccinated, I see more people going outside, meeting up in groups and not wearing masks. This frightens me. We are not even close to being fully vaccinated yet. I get that people are tired of being cooped up at home, but I don't think this is smart. Several friends have been calling, trying to...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I can't get over the feeling that I wasted my time and money in college. I graduated three years ago, and I haven't worked in my field or gotten even remotely close to it. My family is urging me to go and get my master's, but I don't want to waste even more of my time in school. Do you think it would be worth it to get my master'...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I'm concerned about my dad's eating habits. He is getting a bit older, and although he has no preexisting health conditions, he's not in the best shape. He consumes way too much sugar and sodium, and he doesn't get nearly enough exercise on a weekly basis. I've tried to help him, but he is stubborn and stuck in his ways. He feels...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: My ex-fiance and I have been broken up for four years now. We got engaged in our early 20s and never got married. Our relationship lasted three years. Over the past year, he and I started communicating again. The more we communicate, the more I find myself wondering if we made a mistake by calling off our engagement. Neither of ...Read more