ArcaMax

Dear Eric: I've just turned 40 this past year. The last 15 years I was in a horrible drug addiction. I lied and hurt and did terrible things to a lot of people, especially my family.

About eight years ago they officially disowned me. Understandable.

I've cleaned up and got my act together six years ago. At first, I tried to force my way back ...Read more

Dear Eric: My daughter-in-law decided a few years back to have a Friendsgiving dinner which she hosts a couple of weekends before Thanksgiving. She invites her family (as her mom has never done Thanksgiving) and then a bunch of her and my son's friends.

In my mind I know this shouldn't bother me, but it does. I waited my "turn" growing up and ...Read more

MINNEAPOLIS -- Dressed in “Team Lisa” T-shirts, two friends posing as savvy business-minded “Sharks” ran through a tight presentation of why any potential investor in the audience would be smart to date their friend.

“When you invest in Lisa you invest in your own future,” they said, as part of their “Shark Tank”-themed ...Read more

Dear Eric: How does one politely suggest to an in-law's relative that we don't need to exchange Christmas gifts? My significant other and I are at the stage in life where we really do not need more "stuff" and would rather not deal with gifts that are generic at best and usually are re-gifted promptly via donation or gift-economy communities.

...Read more

Dear Eric: I have a friend I've known for four years. We all live in a 55+ community and have moved here from different areas of the country. We are a group of women who get together on a regular basis for outings.

Over the past couple of months, I feel somewhat left out because of a couple of events I wasn't included in. But what I'm trying to...Read more

Dear Anna,

I’m 28 and have been seeing a guy around my age for a few months. We clicked fast in conversation — texting every day and even saying good night, sharing long voice notes, that kind of early-stage excitement — but because of work and conflicting schedules, we’ve only managed a handful of actual dates.

Last week was my ...Read more

Today, let’s look at two different questions from two different clients. As always, if one person asks, I can only assume it is applicable to a larger audience.

And, interestingly enough, you’ll see that these questions are applicable to any gender and any age.

Q: I wanted to have a conversation with (him) about his more long-term goals ...Read more

Dear Eric: Our grandson, who is still married but separated from his wife of five years, wants to visit at Christmas for a week with his new girlfriend. We would love for him to visit but not with any new friend.

How can we tell him without hurting his feelings and damaging our relationship? Or should we open up our home to him and his new ...Read more

Marriage rates in the United States have plummeted nearly 60% since 1970, hitting historic lows amid rising divorce risks and financial pitfalls. This decline isn’t primarily a gender war but a finance-based crisis: The specter of divorce as a wealth transfer discourages commitment.

Enter China’s bold 2025 divorce law reforms, effective Feb...Read more

Dear Eric: I have a good friend whose memory seems to me to be slipping. She laughs it off, saying she has so much going on that she can’t remember things, but I think there is something else happening.

Should I say something and encourage her to see a doctor? I could talk to her husband to see if he is noticing anything. Maybe he should be ...Read more

Dear Eric: My late mother made a special Christmas cookie that required tedious decorating, considering each person's personal preference for toppings, and giving them as gifts to family and friends. They always had a place of honor on our family Christmas table.

When she was no longer able, she gave me the cookie cutter, and my daughters and I...Read more