Asking Eric

Dear Eric: As a Spanish-American, my ancestors from Spain have resided in the United States since long before the first Thanksgiving.

Dear Eric: We are a group of three female former co-workers who have gathered regularly for 10 years to celebrate birthdays and Christmas. We have taken turns at each other’s homes and always had a nice time eating, laughing and reminiscing together.

Dear Eric: Several months ago, I discovered my husband was having an emotional affair with a coworker. He shared significant things with her he didn’t share with me, sought her advice on how to hide his alcohol abuse from me and talked to her about our arguments, while she fueled the negativity against me and trashed me. He also discussed intimate details of our sex life with her which I never consented to being shared.

Dear Eric: My husband passed away 12 days ago after an extended illness. I have two step-kids.

Dear Eric: My friend has a particularly troubling habit.

Dear Eric: I’m conflicted about whether or not to invite my sister to my son’s wedding.

Dear Eric: My friend and I are in our mid-70s. We participate in several activities together – a book club, a continuing education class, et cetera. We often carpool together. I have begun to be very alarmed about my friend’s driving habits. She brakes unexpectedly, veers across the center line and seems quite distracted. I’m more and more reluctant to get in a car that she is driving, as I actually think I might be in danger.

Dear Eric: Last August, my husband and I told his niece that we would help with her daughter’s college expenses. We sent $2,000 to the college for the first semester. We received a thank-you text from his niece but nothing from the student. We eventually told the grandmother, my husband’s sister, that we expected something from the student recognizing that we had sent some money. Finally, a thank-you note came in the spring.

Dear Eric: When my wife and I updated our wills, she designated a diamond tennis bracelet and diamond stud earrings to her niece (she had no biological children of her own). Later that month my wife was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer to which she would succumb 19 months later. My daughter (my wife’s stepdaughter) is a radiation oncologist and became our daily advocate as we navigated the byzantine world of cancer treatment.

Dear Eric: My 30-year-old son is severely physically disabled due to a debilitating muscle disease. He requires 100 percent assistance with all life functions. He does not have any cognitive disabilities, is very intelligent and earned a bachelor’s degree. My husband retired a couple of years ago and is his main caregiver.