ArcaMax

Dear Eric: I am friends with a person I dated for a short while. We’re in our 50s. The only reason I still see her is that she doesn’t have any other friends.

She is also a sole parent to a difficult teen who also has no friends and has no desire to make any (she tells me this). I do not enjoy her company, although she is a good person.

It...Read more

Dear Eric: We live in a suburban neighborhood where the homes are fairly close together. We have a very nice screened-in porch and a large deck that we added two years ago. Typically fall is our favorite time of year to be outside on our deck, and we like to eat breakfast and dinner on our porch.

Our next-door neighbors are heavy pot smokers ...Read more

Dear Eric: My husband of six months and I do pretty much everything together. I recommended we watch a Netflix series together, and we are both deeply engrossed.

The other night, I was tired from my workday, and he suggested I go to bed early. He mentioned finishing the latest episode, since it had just started. I said that sounded fine. I woke...Read more

Dear Eric: My psychologically disabled adult son who also suffers from chronic physical illnesses will live with me for the remainder of my life as I care for him.

His medications, doctor visits and hospitalizations with multiple surgeries take up most of his monthly disability income. I was informed by my attorney to have an executor of my ...Read more

Dear Eric: I have rented a room in my home to a woman for the past year. Her finances are limited. I charge her $400 per month versus the going rate in my area of $1,000. Per the rental agreement, I pay two-thirds of the utility bill, and she pays one-third. She spent this past summer visiting family. When she returned, she told me she would not...Read more

Dear Anna,

My fiancee and I have been together for three years, and I thought everything was great. Last night, however, during dinner, she brought up something that completely blindsided me: the idea of us each having a "pass" to sleep with someone else before the wedding. She said it would be healthy for our relationship and help us start our...Read more

“Should sex with one person mean you stop going on dates with other people?”

This is a question someone asked me recently. In my line of work as a dating coach, things come up in all areas of the early dating process—how to use the apps efficiently, what to do/say on a first date, when/what to text, how to build connection and chemistry, ...Read more

Dear Eric: Two months ago, I lost the love of my life when he died unexpectedly. I have known him for almost 10 years, first as friends that evolved into serious dating.

I learned a week after he passed that while we were a couple he had another current girlfriend and several more partners. His best friend confided afterwards that I was his ...Read more

Dear Eric: My spouse of 38 years died a year ago. He was 72, I’m now 72. He was a bit of a loner and had a strained relationship with his only sibling, his younger sister.

The last 10 years he had completely cut communication off with her. Honestly, the main reason was that he just didn’t want to be her friend. She’s a nice, helpful ...Read more

PHILADELPHIA — The brides wore running gear — sneakers, comfy shirts, and, for one of them, a black ball cap that said “I Do.”

Kara McElvaine and Shelbie Turner got married Saturday while running the Philadelphia Half Marathon, exchanging vows every mile, smiling through the finish line.

“We decided to celebrate being each other’s ...Read more

Dear Eric: Almost 10 years ago, my husband had a life-changing car accident. It left him with neurological issues, some of which still linger to this day. He was unable to convey to me the depths of his emotional pain and frustrations due to the neurological trauma, and I, rather than showing empathy, became a nagging, frustrated harpy, ...Read more