ArcaMax

Dear Eric: I've always had a close relationship with my mom and, for much of my adult life, I didn't really have a life of my own away from her. In the last few years, I entered into my first serious relationship. We moved in together and had an on-again-off-again thing for a while and are now living separately.

We are now considering moving ...Read more

Dear Eric: I took a DNA test with an ex. The child is five. My ex gave me issues about it for years but finally caved in. We remained friends. Now that it's verified that I'm not the child's father, what do I do?

The mother didn't even show up in court for the results. Do I reach out?

She has four other kids I've built a great bond with over ...Read more

Dear Eric: "Jim" and I had a daughter, "Helena," who was 12 years old when her father died of cancer. Jim and Helena were very close, and she knew that she would receive a letter from her father on every birthday until she turned 18.

When she graduated college, I surprised her with another letter. In it, Jim talked about his own college ...Read more

Dear Eric: For the past 10 years we have always "been there" for our grandchildren (now 18 and 16) and my son and daughter-in-law.

In the past two years, things have changed. We have sent the grandkids cards, asked them to various events, and sent weekly texts. Most go unanswered, as if they are entitled. So, I recently sent them a text and ...Read more

Dear Eric: When I hear of a death in the family of someone I know, I send a sympathy card. I appreciated the many cards I received when my husband died, and one kind friend donated to a charity we support.

But when my mother died two years ago after a long incurable illness, I received just one card from a friend, and only a few verbal ...Read more

Dear Eric: I’m pretty sure I should seek therapy. As a longtime first responder with probable PTSD, plus recent marital issues and the recent deaths of a number of close loved ones, I feel the need to speak to an unbiased third party.

I’m not comfortable speaking with my spouse or friends because I’m the one they all come to, and they see...Read more

Dear Eric: My husband and I live next door to a family that, when having work done at their house, tends to use low-wage, unlicensed workers. We found out they are getting their driveway repaved.

The men we saw with our neighbor were in an unmarked truck and may not be professional concrete workers. I said to my husband that if they start ...Read more

Dear Eric: My former best friend and longtime housemate is a serial monogamist and cannot go a couple weeks without being in a long-term relationship, usually having no more than two to three weeks in between very serious relationships.

This friend disappears fully into relationships with people who aren’t good to him, and it's impossible to ...Read more

Dear Eric: My husband and I are seniors. We no longer host Thanksgiving and other holidays, as our youngest son has taken that on willingly. I still prepare a variety of dishes and baked goods which we take to his home.

He has a lovely, blended family now, and everyone converges to enjoy food and time together. It gets very loud, especially ...Read more

Dear Eric: Six months ago, I eloped with a man I had been dating for two weeks. We are now expecting our first child together.

I am a student, and I work part time. He works full time. He has this friend that drinks and gambles. Every night my husband wants to go watch his friend gamble and drink (my husband doesn't really do either).

The ...Read more

Dear Eric: My wife and I have a fair number of friend groups. We enjoy social gatherings, especially dinners out, with all the groups. But only one or two of the couples ask us out as much as we ask them.

The majority of the other couples only seem to go out with us when we initiate it, although they seem to go out frequently with other mutual ...Read more

Dear Eric: I’ve been with my husband 25 years, married the last seven. We have children from prior marriages, and I have six grandchildren.

He was abused as a child and has worked in therapy to process it, but then stopped. He lost one grandma early and had no bond with his other. I had great grandmas and therefore enjoy the grandparent roles...Read more

Dear Eric: Friends of ours, who live on the other side of the country, have a daughter who is a senior in college in the same town we live in. It's not uncommon for the daughter to spend holidays like Thanksgiving, or the occasional weekend, with us.

Occasionally, she brings her boyfriend, whose company we also enjoy. Recently, her mom texted ...Read more

Dear Eric: I'm stressed out trying to maintain a friendship with someone from high school who reconnected with me a couple of years ago.

We were good friends when we were younger but by the time high school rolled around, I had moved on.

Fast-forward 20 years and we started hanging out again. Girl stuff like going out for lunch. Recently I've ...Read more

Dear Eric: I am a gay male and have been with my husband for many years now, married six of them. Every time an issue comes up, whether it's the landlord knocking on the door or someone else, he comes running to me to deal with it and I am fed up with it. I deal with paying all the bills each month. I work full time just like my husband, and I ...Read more

Dear Eric: I have always been close with my only siblings, my twin sister (67) and our brother (72). But sis and bro have had many issues over the past few years and bro chooses to distance himself from her. I feel like I've always been the family matriarch and arbitrator.

Bro is now in a seniors' home with virtually no funds to speak of. His ...Read more

Dear Eric: My husband has told our kids they cannot have any friends inside of our home. They can play in the front yard and that is it. I don't know how to tackle this, or what to say when it's our “turn” to host our kids’ friends. I've been hosting the friends to movies, arcades, etc., but never in our home.

My husband is retired and ...Read more

Dear Eric: For about 20 years, my husband and I and our two boys, when they were younger, plus a dog, traveled usually by car to visit my sisters. They never visited us. The drive to their state was 14 hours long and was not fun or cheap, but we did it mostly because of my elderly mother who couldn't travel (lived with one sister). I have a fear...Read more

Dear Eric: My brother and I have been estranged for decades, due to consecutive "family incidents" that accumulated, unresolved, over years.

A little over a year ago, I learned through a mutual friend that my brother has an incurable cancer – the kind that is hereditary and would place me at a significantly elevated risk. I immediately booked...Read more

Dear Eric: My husband and I are in our 70s and retired to a new community. We are engaged in church ministries and social groups that meet for dinner periodically. I volunteer and he is an avid golfer. My problem is not being able to turn new relationships into meaningful friendships. I have met many wonderful people but have a problem getting ...Read more