ArcaMax

Dear Eric: For the last 45 years or so I’ve hosted Thanksgiving for my family. I’ve had as many as 25 people. My sister has two sons, and they’ve always stayed with me. Quite frankly, it’s now an issue. Only one son comes but he now has three sons of his own, ranging from 22 to 8. My sister also stays with me. They come on Wednesday and ...Read more

As Neil Sedaka so beautifully and succinctly put it (in both boppy and ballad form… I personally prefer the latter!), breaking up is hard to do. Today, we have four questions, all revolving around breakups. They’re never easy, but with time, patience, and perspective, they can be manageable.

Q: How long does it take to get over a breakup?

...Read more

As Neil Sedaka so beautifully and succinctly put it (in both boppy and ballad form… I personally prefer the latter!), breaking up is hard to do. Today, we have four questions, all revolving around breakups. They’re never easy, but with time, patience, and perspective, they can be manageable.

Q: How long does it take to get over a breakup?

...Read more

Dear Anna,

I’ve been with my girlfriend for about a year. Things have been great overall. But lately she’s become fixated on one of her close friends, not in a romantic way — more in a spiral of comparison. Her friend is pretty, but so is my girlfriend, except when she makes self-deprecating comments about how she “could never compete�...Read more

Dear Eric: I have a huge dilemma literally right across from our home. Our neighbor is a very nice man. Sometimes I do ask him what he’s going to do with all of his stuff in his yard. He just says he’ll keep it. He is a hoarder.

What I see is boxes and boxes stacked all along his driveway, down to his backyard, leaving a very narrow pathway...Read more

Dear Eric: My husband has dementia; it’s getting worse by the month. I am the caregiver. Our daughter calls on her way home from work. Our son calls several times a week. They have been my rock. I lean on them and rely on their excellent advice and strong shoulders.

Our 55th wedding anniversary is several days before Christmas. Because of the...Read more

Dear Eric: My cousin recently passed away after a long hospitalization. We were very close. I sent a sympathy card with money to the family, but I was sent the money back. I have never heard of this happening in my life. What do you make of this?

I talked to other family members, and their money wasn’t returned to them. I’ve sent out a ...Read more

Dear Eric: I’m worried I’ll lose my longtime friendship. I met S several years ago when we lived closer to each other. She probably is the closest friend I’ve ever had. Her husband, T, sometimes joined us, but mostly it was S and me.

About three years ago, I moved several states away from S. Of course, I miss our friendship. When I have ...Read more

Dear Eric: My wife and our 6-year-old daughter went to the wedding of my older daughter from a prior marriage. My wife and daughter have always had a rocky relationship. My younger daughter was a flower girl, and she was asked not to wear a tiara. My wife gave me lots of arguments as to why my daughter should be allowed to wear a tiara. My older...Read more

Dear Anna,

I’ve been with my boyfriend for almost two years. He’s a total tech guy — the kind who buys every new gadget, talks to his smart home like it’s a pet, and stays way too late tinkering with AI tools “just to see what they can do.” I’ve always thought it was kind of endearing, if occasionally exhausting.

But last month, ...Read more

Dear Anna,

I’ve been with my boyfriend for almost two years. He’s a total tech guy — the kind who buys every new gadget, talks to his smart home like it’s a pet, and stays way too late tinkering with AI tools “just to see what they can do.” I’ve always thought it was kind of endearing, if occasionally exhausting.

But last month, ...Read more