Asking Eric: Mother’s rambling tests patience
"I love my mother dearly but at 84 she has reached the point of rambling."
Advice
Asking Eric: After years of moving, widow doesn’t know where to go in retirement
"You see, during my 36 years of marriage, we moved 13 times. I really don’t...
Asking Eric: Pet-sitting incident leads to damage and guilty feeling
"I feel like things are smoothed over but I also want some resolution so I...
Asking Eric: Arrogant contractor makes house work a chore
"How do you deal with someone who isn’t directly calling you a moron but acts...
Asking Eric: Couple disagrees on whether to charge houseguests
"My wife and I rarely argue, but we can’t seem to agree on this. What...
Asking Eric: Siblings stage hearing aid ‘intervention’
"My siblings came at me today, together, and approached me intervention-style to tell me when...
Asking Eric: Boyfriend spends so much time with his ex-wife’s family
"Any advice for me going forward? If he knows I don't like his doing that,...
Asking Eric: Old resentment sour 50th high school reunion
"The cost is outrageous. Plus, most of the people I would like to see are...
Asking Eric: Letter writer wants to eat strangers’ leftovers
"I don’t like food waste and am completely unbothered by the thought of sharing food...
Asking Eric: Relatives in another country prefer sister
"This has happened a number of times since we began using the shared WhatsApp."
Asking Eric: Neighbor’s kind act creates more problems
"In the last few years, my body has changed. I now use a walker. My...
Asking Eric: Friend’s outburst ruins game night
"We felt angry. It’s our house and they are our guests. How dare she do...
Asking Eric: Sister sends gifts despite repeated requests to stop
"I’ve asked her repeatedly to stop buying my family gifts, but every year I get...
Asking Eric: New friend group brings up old insecurities
"I do get invited to quarterly birthday parties (there's a separate text chain for that),...
Asking Eric: Couple has everything but still makes wedding registry
"They are, otherwise, nice caring people, but I feel they have gone off the rails...
Asking Eric: Parents kept up relationship with son’s ex after infidelity
"Then my son got engaged to a wonderful woman, whom we dearly love."
Asking Eric: Adult son’s belongings fill up parents’ house
"A few years ago, he started storing equipment, tools, bikes, and more in our garage,...
Asking Eric: COVID practices still cause rift between mother and daughter-in-law
"My wife and I are still fighting occasionally about this issue, and the spats are...
Asking Eric: Negative friend threatens to ruin shared vacation
"Sad to say, none of us really want to spend what should be a fun...
Asking Eric: Ex-military husband suddenly dressing like a cowboy
"It’s awkward to go anywhere in my casual clothes accompanied by my rootin’ tootin’ dressed...
Asking Eric: 12-step sponsor shares too much about sponsee
"She could have even characterized the person as a fellow-traveler or friend but used the...
Asking Eric: Clergy spouse keeps rummaging through church office
"What advice would you give a guy who just wants his office to be his...
Asking Eric: Mother wants to give daughter’s boyfriend a retirement account
"Do I grant son-in-law status to the boyfriend when distributing money? They are in a...
Asking Eric: Boyfriend’s babysitting infringes on relationship
"He and I have to schedule our time to go out and have fun around...
Asking Eric: Facebook posts fracture friendship
"This is the second time she has gotten so mad that she wouldn't speak to...
Asking Eric: Friends insist on visiting even though hosting is a burden
"We are in very good shape for our ages but still we are 87 and...
Asking Eric: Friend calls multiple times every day
"The problem is he calls two to three times a day. He is 80 years...
Asking Eric: Siblings want to involve grieving sister in holiday tradition
"I’m torn between respecting her feelings of discomfort and being heartbroken at the thought of...
Asking Eric: After 30 years, company’s cold retirement sendoff stings
"Honestly, it felt good to leave a place where I felt disrespected and tired of...
Asking Eric: Man struggles to re-connect with old friends
"Given the time and all factors, I have to ask if these are dormant or...
Asking Eric: Decades later, bullies still have power
"How do I get past reliving those painful events? Even writing this was painful."
Asking Eric: Parents struggle with cutting off financially dependent daughter
"When and how should we cut her off?"
Asking Eric: Readers offer creative ways to address divorce in Christmas cards
"Here are a few great suggestions and one that made me laugh."
Asking Eric: Mutual friend turns two friends against a third
"This is problematic because then Paulo will probably get defensive or claim that he didn't...
Asking Eric: Son and father are fighting, but parents still want to celebrate son’s birthday
"I love my son with all my heart, as I do all my children, and...
Asking Eric: Years after active addiction, family remains distant
"I guess what I'm asking is, what do I do to fix this and fast,...
Asking Eric: Daughter-in-law’s Friendsgiving overshadows family dinner
"Can you give me another way to look at this or some advice that will...
Asking Eric: Gift exchange tradition grows tiresome
"I'm at a loss for how to deal with this and am hoping you have...
Asking Eric: Acquaintance is friendly in real life but ignores on Facebook
"So now, what am I doing? Ignoring her posts, which makes me feel so stupid...
Asking Eric: Still-married grandson wants to bring his new girlfriend to visit
"How can we tell him without hurting his feelings and damaging our relationship?"
Asking Eric: Friend shrugs off concerning memory issues
"Should I say something and encourage her to see a doctor? I could talk to...
Asking Eric: Tedious cookie tradition taxes family ties
"When she was no longer able, she gave me the cookie cutter, and my daughters...
Asking Eric: Husband does housework while wife plays online games
"I have a few health concerns that need to be managed and doing everything myself...
Asking Eric: Brother’s partner mocks in-laws even after their deaths
"My brother and other siblings say nothing, and I have been turning away to avoid...
Asking Eric: After a birthday with no greetings, letter writer feels miserable
"Is it becoming more commonplace to forgo what was once common practice?"
Asking Eric: Messy housemate gives host silent treatment
"She said she has to keep her peace; she won’t speak. She won’t do her...
Asking Eric: Baking favor leads to salty feelings
"She never charges people for when she makes desserts since she loves to bake."
Asking Eric: Goddaughter’s wedding dress causes huge family rift
"She picked out a dress without consulting me that cost nearly 10 times that much...
Asking Eric: Years after failed marriage, ex can’t stop thinking about it
"This person lives rent free in my head and how do I get rid of...
Asking Eric: Stepchildren’s lack of manners reflects on stepmom
"Now that they are grown men, I am running into a similar, uncomfortable position with...
Asking Eric: Conflict between daughter and father traps mother in the middle
"Not 30 minutes after she left, he called and cursed me out. He blames me...
Asking Eric: After relapse, mother struggles with shame
"I had felt shame and expressed my regret and apology when I got sober, but...
Asking Eric: Family punished for missing wedding 50 years later
"Now our granddaughter is engaged to be married and Suzy told her that we did...
Asking Eric: Siblings clash over commemorating deceased sister
"I did not want to do this. I grieved my sister already and did not...
Asking Eric: Neighbor’s vacant home threatens property
"The tree is old and the dead branches are falling on my car."
Asking Eric: Boyfriend’s ex-mother-in-law still comes for coffee
"The issue is that the ex-wife comes into the house and now the ex-mother-in-law is...
Asking Eric: Girlfriend’s adult son gets in the way of relationship
"She tells me one day she loves me, the next day she does not want...
Asking Eric: ‘Friendly’ customer service keeps causing conflict
"I find that to be very intrusive from someone I don't know and may never...
Asking Eric: Parents try to force reunion with estranged brother
"With my parents, things don't get through unless I take drastic measures."
Asking Eric: After depression, cluttered house seems impossible to manage
"How can I start making progress and get my space (and confidence) back without feeling...
Asking Eric: In-law’s body hair makes holidays a chore
"I’m assuming it would not be appropriate for me to make the request that he...
Asking Eric: Friend only wants to complain about another friend
"I've been feeling sad and upset. I feel judged for setting a boundary."
Asking Eric: Aggressive neighbor claims seniors are harassing him
"It is not legal to water beyond the lawn and illegal to block passage on...
Asking Eric: After divorce, ex questions how to phrase holiday cards
"Any ideas on wording that is classy or funny to express this new family identity...
Asking Eric: Wife has racked up $16k in secret bills
"I am married to a liar, a sneak, someone with no conscience. What should I...
Asking Eric: 19 years and no proposal; what gives?
"I'm wondering if I should ask him next February, even though I feel he should...
Asking Eric: Parent gives daughter’s ex free room and board plus a loan
"I don't know if he self-sabotages or doesn't follow through."
Asking Eric: Daughter’s clutter keeps getting her kicked out of apartments
"Every year the landlord won't renew their lease. Happens every year."
Asking Eric: Friend is shell of himself after relationship
"If this were your friend, what would you say or how would you approach the...
Asking Eric: Family thinks brother is too wealthy to be included in tradition
"I’m tired of my husband participating in everyone’s birthday and then being ignored for his."
Asking Eric: Between affairs and a secret crypto account, wife can’t trust husband anymore
"Many years before, he’d had a two-year affair with another coworker. It was a devastating...
Asking Eric: Husband keeps giving wife socks; they remind her of a terrible experience
"I threw them away and they came back. He gave me five more pairs at...
Asking Eric: Yoga teacher follows coworker obsessively
"How do I tell Sue to find her own life path and seek her own...
Asking Eric: After nearly half a century, holiday hostess reaches limit
"I know if I say something about a hotel, they will be highly insulted."
Asking Eric: Neighbor is putting himself in grave danger but won’t change
"I know if I call an authority on him, he will know it was me....
Asking Eric: Wife struggles to keep holiday special after husband’s dementia diagnosis
"A celebration would be difficult to impossible for guests and family members because of his...
Asking Eric: After family death, bereaved kept the card but returned the cash
"I’ve sent out a lot of cards with money in them. We have a large...
Asking Eric: Friendship disrupted by house full of security cameras
"Her husband now has small cameras indoors and out. I find this a little creepy."
Asking Eric: Wife to stepdaughter — ‘this is war’
"She fights with me as if I'm taking my daughter's side."
Asking Eric: Neighbor is friendly but drives drunk
"But he frequents the bar often, and then drives home, which is a mile or...
Asking Eric: Niece grows distant from family after wedding
"I hate to make the situation worse, but I also don't want to be made...
Asking Eric: Prolonged grief complicated by obsessive-compulsive disorder
"Please don't say to see a therapist. I had one for many years, then she...
Asking Eric: Friend drags up addiction-related offenses, 31 years later
"I was so embarrassed and hurt by the fact that she would do this to...
Asking Eric: Volunteer’s memory issues pose challenge for a church
"How do we handle this in a loving, kind and compassionate way?"
Asking Eric: Coworkers called stingy for not contributing to honeymoon fund
"Would it be a kindness to say something? And if so, what should I say?"
Asking Eric: Family refuses to accept father’s ashes
"I loved my brother, but it feels weird having his ashes on my porch."
Asking Eric: Sibling rivalry results in $20k ‘bill’ to parents
"He feels that we should 'gift' him the same amount of money that we have...
Asking Eric: After medical miracle, daughter is angry about mom’s travel
"Could she be worried about the time I will leave her behind permanently?"
Asking Eric: Father-in-law and life coach interfere with marriage
"The life coach told me my wife would be cut off financially if she allowed...
Asking Eric: Divorced daughter moved back in but won’t move on
"If it wasn’t for my grandson, we’d probably evict her."
Asking Eric: Intergenerational work besties get stink eye from other friends
"I have friends who think my friendship with my male friend is inappropriate."
Asking Eric: Daughter refuses to cash $20,000 check
"I am about ready to send a large donation to charity and call it a...
Asking Eric: Good Samaritan gets hefty reward for first aid
"The next day, we found a thank you note and a $100 gift card in...
Asking Eric: Tween daughter starts talking back
"Any advice on how to handle this situation as I feel it’s only going to...
Asking Eric: Girlfriend loves whiskey and other men
"You know what they say: intimacy doesn't begin in the bedroom."
Asking Eric: After brother’s death, sister wants family mementos back from sister-in-law
"What I struggle with is that, while all my brothers and sisters have their own...
Asking Eric: Husband’s pouting keeps couple trapped
"We currently live in a rural community that is extremely far from normal city advantages."
Asking Eric: Father fears daughter has fallen for a player
"The issue is that after over three months, they have not seen each other on...
Asking Eric: New boyfriend vows to keep cheating
"Such a shame when I have so much fun with him and we are so...
Asking Eric: Freeloading friend hasn’t paid for lunch in a decade
"Wouldn’t you think at least one time she would offer to pick up the tab?"