ArcaMax

Dear Eric: I was a latch-key kid in the ’70s, no father, working mom of three kids. No one was ever there to read me a story, watch me make a basket or catch a ball. I now have a 7-year-old girl. I thrive watching her in her weekly two-hour gym class and Girl Scout meetings, where I am a troop leader. I see most parents focused on their ...Read more

Dear Eric: I have been friends with "Bill" for more than 25 years. When the fire started in the Pacific Palisades, we had to evacuate our home. My wife and I went to one friend's condo for two nights, then to another couple's house for four nights and then we went to Bill and his wife's guest house, which is separate from the main house.

We ...Read more

Dear Eric: I am a female executive employed by a large global corporation. It is a common practice in my workplace, and an expectation of my job, that I meet with colleagues, customers and service providers, sometimes while traveling for work, often solo, often for business lunches and dinners at restaurants.

My husband is a business owner in a...Read more

Dear Eric: I am 80 and my daughter is 44. I am a retired professional and my daughter, a college graduate and business owner, gets offended when I question anything she does.

She’s considering going back to school to enhance her marketability and when she showed me a counseling program she was interested in, I noticed one of the required ...Read more

Dear Eric: We are retired grandparents to 7-year-old twins who live close by. We are delighted to help with kiddo chauffeuring, grocery shopping or anything else needed by two very hard-working parents.

Today after dropping off groceries, my wife noted that the refrigerator, in her opinion, had an unpleasant odor and was very quick to share her...Read more

Dear Eric: I live in a small town about five hours from my parents, who live in the biggest city in our state. They have a beautiful home with a great downstairs room that is perfect to stay in when I visit. My father has Parkinson’s, so I make it up close to every month to hang out and try to make life for my mom a little easier. Sometimes I�...Read more

Dear Eric: My brother has children with whom I was extremely close when he and his wife got divorced in 1989. He never supported his kids, never paid child support and drank away everyone’s money, including $20,000 in rehabs that my parents paid for.

My brother asked me if he could borrow $5,000, and he would start making payments to pay it ...Read more

Dear Eric: I had a bad falling out from a very toxic job a few months ago. Since it ended, I’ve been dealing with feelings of shame and betrayal, but I’m doing what I can to clean the fallout from my brain. I’m in therapy, I’ve taken up some new hobbies, and I’m reconnecting with old friends. I’m taking some time off from full-time ...Read more

Dear Eric: My wife and I uprooted from our rural community and bought a home to be nearer our grown children who had both settled near the city. Soon after, our son and his family of four and a dog lost their housing as their rental situation failed after the landowner passed away.

Of course, we took them in and several months later they found ...Read more

Dear Eric: My husband and I have worked hard to create consistent communication in our relationship that has lasted 10 years. We have both struggled to get to a good place, which we thought we had achieved.

Then a month ago, my son was home from college. My husband (his stepdad), my son and I were watching TV. My son was sitting next to me. I ...Read more

Dear Eric: My husband and I met three years ago and recently celebrated our second wedding anniversary.

My grown stepdaughter (27) seemed to like me during the first year after I moved into her dad’s house. But she soon changed from being a nice/fun/interesting person to being moody and filled with mean comments toward me.

Her dad was as ...Read more

Dear Eric: I had a relationship with a man for eight years, during a turbulent time in my life. We broke up five years ago. He has cut all contact with me. However, he still talks to my mother. She pays his rent, bought him a new car that was the same make and model as the one she helped me buy, but one year newer.

I have told her that her ...Read more

Dear Eric: I recently took a vacation with my mother-in-law, and we had a miserable

time. It’s causing a rift in our relationship.

I’ve been with my husband for four years now, and in hindsight, his mom and I have never spent more than a few hours alone together. In those times, I’ve seen glimpses of a part of her personality that I ...Read more

Dear Eric: I’m part of a group that meets up on a regular basis to engage in a hobby. These gatherings have been a great refuge for me. We have enjoyable, interesting conversations and a great rapport. One friend, “Rose”, has started including her daughter “Tracy” in some of these gatherings, which has changed the group dynamic and ...Read more

Dear Eric: My wife's brother and his wife recently left on a six-week overseas trip, leaving their 14-year-old son at home with his grandfather, who speaks very little English. They didn't leave any instructions with anyone in case of an emergency.

My wife and I are close to their son, "Bobby". Last week, Bobby had a mental breakdown. He called...Read more

Dear Eric: I left my 32-year marriage more than 20 years ago, due to my ex-husband’s extramarital affairs. We have four adult children who I virtually raised alone as he was never available to them physically or emotionally.

I wanted the children to have a good relationship with their father as I treasured my relationship with my parents. I ...Read more

Dear Eric: Over the past few years, more and more of my long-time friends have vanished from my life. One sent a message reading “I am retired,” and when asked how she was enjoying her retirement, sent the same message repeatedly as her reply. One asked me to vacation with her, and when I replied enthusiastically, never contacted me for a ...Read more

Dear Eric: I grew up with highly educated parents, with a strong work ethic. Because of my and my also well-educated and accomplished husband’s many years of hard work, we have been able to provide well for our children. Unfortunately, all of them have had health difficulties from birth, and instead of growing and recovering, they each ...Read more

Dear Eric: My 35-year-old daughter “Mary” and I were very close in her early 20s, after she emerged from troubled teen years of substance abuse and self-destructive behaviors. She continues to stay clean and sober, with a successful career.

But several years ago, things went sideways between us. Everything I said made her angry. I’m ...Read more

Dear Eric: When my daughter married 25 years ago, both she and her husband decided to go vegan. My husband and I respected and fully supported them. After all, we had raised her on meals cooked from scratch out of natural ingredients and saw veganism as a move in an even purer direction.

Sure, it was hard to ditch the turkey at Thanksgiving and...Read more