The candy is half-price the flowers are wilting, and in my inbox some sweet folks are a-jilting. My manuscript's growing, my brain needs a break, so time for some letters about hope and heartbreak.
Category: Reader Questions
#1393: “How can I stop other women from hating on me for my happy life?”
Do you want friends, as in autonomous human beings, or do you want an app that provides daily affirmations and asks no questions?
#1392: Doom or Consequences? The Case of The Transmisogynist Missing Stair…Who Bites
"They bite, and are a total asshole with no home training, but I love them anyway" is for adorable cats you adopt out of the trash, not for friends. And when friends come over, those cats go in a nice room with water and a litter box and a door that closes.
#1391: “Anxious Coworker Is Triggering My Mothering Instinct”
When work says, "We're like a family here," they never mean a happy, functional family.
#1390: My wife wants a divorce but I don’t want to go to court.
Think of a lawyer as a divorce expert who takes care of business so you can take care of feelings.
#1389: “I am taking over a course from a professor who died. How should I proceed?”
"Hello, I wouldn't be here if your actual professor hadn't died. Who's ready to LEARN?"
#1388: “A woman wants to bond with me over our shared history of an abusive man – and I’m struggling to be polite while also maintaining boundaries.”
Sometimes the enemy of your enemy is not your friend, and that's okay. Content note for mention (but not details) of past abusive relationships.
#1387: “I’m dating a married man, help!”
Another day, another disappointing man who deserves neither wife nor mistress.
#1386: “How do I go No Contact with my dad again now that he’s no longer dying?”
"We had the dramatic deathbed reunion everybody pressured me into and then the jerk lived. What now?"
#1385: “My wife says she isn’t cheating. Should I believe her?”
"Is it technically cheating?" vs. "Even if the answer is no, is this the kind of relationship you want?"