Life Advice
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Asking Eric: Niece’s visit tests generosity
Dear Eric: My niece contacted me and said she was coming to a college reunion near me. She wondered if she and her family could stay at my home during the weekend. I was happy to have them, and they had a good time. My wife and I cooked several meals for them and loaned them a car. Their final evening, we all went out to dinner (six of them ...Read more
Living in Fear of My Neighbor
Dear Annie: I moved into my bungalow six months ago. My new neighbor, we'll call him "Jeremy," who I share a very thin party wall with, seemed friendly at first -- in fact, overly so. He called first thing every morning -- up to eight times a day -- mainly to see if I was going out that day so he could pester me to bring things back for him, ...Read more

Asking Eric: When coffee date brings a coffee date
Dear Eric: Recently I ran into a friend who invited me for coffee with another friend. I don't care for the other friend because he is misogynistic and opinionated. I didn't explain any of this and politely declined the offer, but I felt no explanation was required.
If this comes up again, do I owe this person reasons why I don't enjoy the ...Read more
Suspecting My Daughter of Stealing
Dear Annie: I have noticed things missing in my house. After visiting my daughter's house, I have noticed some of these things at her house. For example, a bracelet that I had been looking for, for months, as well as a coffee mug and a small decorative vase.
How should I go about this? Her boyfriend, who I never trusted, lives with her. I ...Read more

Asking Eric: Sister split after personal email was shared
Dear Eric: My sister (85) and I (80) have been estranged for about five years. My niece invited us for Thanksgiving dinner just before this fallout. She was also inviting relatives of her fiancé who are active Scientologists, a religion that has a well-documented distaste of homosexuals.
I am in a long-term same-sex marriage, and I expressed ...Read more
Friendship Lost to Texting
Dear Annie: I've known my friend "Ella" for over 50 years. In the last few years, for whatever reason, she only wants to communicate with me via texting. She has no medical or mental issues. I just saw her at her sister's funeral.
I've told her that I don't wish to communicate through texting only. I keep asking her why we just can't talk on ...Read more
Single File: Love Partnership (Continued)
I read in women's letters the signs of their struggle to find an answer to their quandary. The feeders of the race, the gender asked to nurture those around them, women today are asking for -- no, insisting on -- emotional reciprocity. At the same time they confide in me their fears, they insist they will not settle for less than partnership in ...Read more

Ask Dating Coach Erika
As a dating coach, I often get questions ranging from the early stages of dating—messaging on the apps, texting, date planning—to the early stages of a relationship.
Here are a few from this past week:
Question: Dated for 6 months; he broke it off and said that the timing wasn't right but hopes one day it will. Was it genuine?
Answer: I ...Read more

Ask Anna: He's the perfect boyfriend … except for his gaming obsession
Dear Anna,
I've been with my boyfriend for eight months, and overall, things are great. He's kind, funny and a dedicated teacher. The issue? When he's not working, he's gaming — sometimes six or seven hours a night. I don’t mind that he has a hobby, but it bugs me that he devotes nearly all of his free time to it. I don’t want to be the ...Read more

Asking Eric: Patient wants to date long-time dentist
Dear Eric: I have had the same dentist for the past 15 years. Within the last year, I have found myself wanting to know him on a personal level. I know he is not involved in a relationship, and he seems interested as well. How should I proceed?
– Makes Me Smile
Dear Smile: First, find a new dentist. The American Dental Association’s Code ...Read more
Dreams Don't Have Deadlines
Dear Annie: From the time I was in second grade, I knew I wanted to be a writer. But everyone around me insisted it was a terrible idea. So, I chose the "safe" path and became a teacher, spending two years in a high school English classroom before transitioning to a role as a school librarian.
I also married a man I believed was the love of ...Read more

Asking Eric: Sister and roommate refuses to learn life skills
Dear Eric: My younger sister, Lucy, and I are both in our 20s and share an apartment.
Growing up, I faced a lot of double standards from our parents compared to Lucy, especially when it came to household responsibilities. Lucy was coddled to the point of depriving her of developing basic life skills.
As adults, I end up picking up the slack ...Read more
Fairness in Friendship
Dear Annie: I went on a 10-day girls trip with five other women, including my best friend. By the third day, I realized I was being singled out for having different opinions and struggling to keep up physically. I have lung disease, but these women (all older with their own limitations) dismissed it as something an inhaler could fix.
We had ...Read more

Asking Eric: Nephews fail $10k gift ‘test’
Dear Eric: We have two nephews, 17 and 21, and felt it was time to teach them money management skills and saving for retirement. At Thanksgiving, we funded two brokerage accounts for each – a $7,000 Roth IRA and $3,000 brokerage. We also gave two books on long-term investing.
Given the 40-plus years until they retire, the funds, if added to, ...Read more
Not Making Excuses Anymore
Dear Annie: My husband pouts and refuses to come with me when I visit our kids and grandkids, choosing instead to stay home watching TV and playing on his computer. I used to make excuses for him -- saying he was busy or doing chores -- but now I just tell the truth: "Grandpa's crabby and staying home."
His father used to fake stomachaches ...Read more
Being Brazenly Loud for the Greater Good
It feels like there are people in America who wake up every morning, stretch like a cartoon villain, and immediately start working to make things worse. They clog up school board meetings, launch unhinged Facebook rants, and propose legislation that makes you check if it's satire. And you know what? They do it with confidence that would be ...Read more

Asking Eric: Friend is worried husband talks to ex-wife too much
Dear Eric: One of my best friends is a woman I introduced to my boyfriend's brother. They married last October after knowing each other for about six months. My friend often confides in me about what's happening in the marriage. She is sensitive about her husband's relationship with his ex-wife and told him that he should only communicate with ...Read more
Enablement Versus Support
Dear Annie: My cousin, who is more like a sister to me, has been making a series of reckless and concerning choices over the past year. After having her second baby, she left her husband and began dating a string of borderline-abusive men. Now she's signing over full custody of her children to her ex-husband and impulsively buying a house out ...Read more
Single File: Love Partnership
The days are gone when women made financial clout the top requisite for serious interest in a man. No longer economically second-class (if not financially whole, or at least with more earning potential -- and hope -- than before), women are asking something different from men. They are beginning to insist that their love object actively nurture ...Read more

The problem with asking, 'Where are the men of my caliber?'
I work with a lot of amazing, successful women. A lot. And I am constantly impressed by these women’s tenacity, drive and achievements. Most have made their financial wealth on their own and are very proud of that, as they should be. But with this success sometimes comes difficulty in finding a partner. Why is this?
As a recent example, I ...Read more