Dear Eric: My oldest daughter is going through a rough divorce. Her soon to be ex-husband is asking for alimony, extra expenses and basically putting her through the ringer, because he thinks she owes it to him due to her infidelity. She met her new boyfriend when she was still married.
Dear Eric: Is it normal for an unmarried man over 60 to want a baby? Where should he look for a marriage-minded young woman willing to accept the age difference? How should he deal with the social stigma against May-December relationships?
Dear Eric: I am 57, and I am the fourth of five siblings. My adolescent years were marked by loneliness, fear, bullying from others because of my weight and anxiety. I had no outlet to express myself so I either over ate or took out my rage on my younger sister.
Dear Readers: On March 16, I shared a letter from “Mother of Three,” who lost her daughter five years ago and felt unsure about how to respond when people ask, “how many children do you have?” A number of readers wrote in with thoughtful and empathetic suggestions. I’d like to share four with you today.
Dear Eric: I am retired after 40 years of teaching at the same institution. Recently,
Dear Eric: A woman who works for me dresses in a provocative fashion. We work in a formal professional setting. She wore a black lace dress with cleavage on a Monday and I blurted out “boy, you’re dressed up for a Monday!” Her response was that she had a date that night.
Dear Eric: Recently, it was “assumed” by my husband’s family that we would host a gathering for some out-of-town relatives. We have a better house for entertaining. Everyone brought a side dish, or dessert. I usually have at least one gathering a year for his family. I’m happy to do it. We have a nice dining room, but our table was not going to work for the number of people attending.
Dear Eric: My son is married; his wife is the chief breadwinner. They keep their finances separate; he pays half of everything, even though it is a real stretch for him.
Dear Eric: My 22-year-old son has met a 36-year-old woman in Brazil on the internet. He has fallen for her and is planning to go there this summer for at least three months.
Dear Eric: I’m a 78-year-old widow, who has been without a cat for one year now; first time in my life. Is it fair to adopt a cat if I most likely only have one and a half to two and a half more years to live? I do travel as well. I do not have any family, so who would get the cat remains unknown. Maybe back to the adoption group? Is this fair to the cat? I feel I’m being selfish, or is a little time “at home” for a cat better than none? Please advise.