ArcaMax

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?

– Ticking Biological Clock

Dear Clock: Anyone who is thinking about becoming a parent would be wise to ...Read more

Dear Eric: Over the years I noticed one of my spouse’s sisters seemed generally overly sensitive with sudden emotional outbursts and a tendency to play the victim.

My spouse’s last living parent died, and the estate needed to be divided equally between all of the siblings. Sister loaded up her car with many valuable items before making her ...Read more

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.

When I grew up, I would often ruminate over how badly I treated my sister in my ...Read more

Dear Eric: I was an attorney when I started having memory problems at age 65. I retired and subsequently learned that I had a devastating rare dementia with a very short lifespan. Instead of providing me support, my friends disappeared from my life, at the time I needed them most. Friends may rally around you when you have cancer, driving you to...Read more

Dear Eric: Our family will be celebrating our mother’s 100th birthday this fall. We were planning on having an open house to include my mom’s only living sister, family and community neighbors to honor a 100-year legacy that doesn’t happen for everyone.

My niece’s son proposed to his girlfriend in February and decided to set a wedding ...Read more

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 lost my beautiful,...Read more

Dear Eric: I would like to get along better with my niece's wife, and I'm hoping you might offer some strategies.

The wife's a nice person, but she's high maintenance in ways that make whatever group she's in bend to keep her comfortable. The boat tour has to go a certain speed, so she doesn't get queasy. She has to drive whatever car she's in,...Read more

Dear Eric: I am retired after 40 years of teaching at the same institution. Recently,

a former colleague of mine died. I was never close to this woman, but we were in the same department and had to collaborate on many projects and initiatives. Dealing with her was a challenge, but I tried my best to be professional. She was often unpleasant to ...Read more

Dear Eric: I am a 62-year-old woman engaged to a 59-year-old man. He is my best friend. The problem? His 25- and 29-year-old daughters do not work or contribute to the household at all. They stay up all night and play games and sleep all day. Thankfully, I have my own home. I refuse to marry him until these "lumps" move out.

We have been ...Read more

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.

I get complaints from coworkers that her flesh-baring outfits are ...Read more

Dear Eric: I have a friend who I've known since childhood. Our relationship has always been platonic. Through the years we have gone our separate ways but always stayed in touch. I was living in another state when he had and beat cancer.

I've been back in my hometown for a few years now and have spent quite a lot of time with him doing things ...Read more

Dear Eric: It has recently come to light that the father of my goddaughter has been cheating on his wife for almost the entirety of their 30-year marriage. For some reason, the wife has decided to stay with this man. My goddaughter’s destination wedding is coming up soon. I don’t want to be in a room with this man, let alone hug or converse ...Read more

Dear Eric: I have two boys ages 8 and 13. In most cases the sibling rivalry is about the same as any other family.

One late evening, I picked them up at the dance studio and we came home. Everyone was tired (especially ME!) and so they decided to hit the sack. Around 10, I thought I heard muffled whimpering and screeching. Thinking I was just ...Read more

Dear Eric: I love my job but there is another employee there who likes to confide their life stories with me. It makes me upset and uncomfortable. I am a very compassionate person, but these stories are sad and depressing, which upsets my workday.

I try only to listen and not give any feedback. They also have asked for information on how to ...Read more

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 ...Read more

Dear Eric: For more than five years I have been having a single friend and her two kids over to dinner weekly. This started after her philandering, narcissistic husband, who had been having an affair while she was nearing term with a difficult pregnancy and hospitalized, left her for the other woman while my friend was on maternity leave with ...Read more

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.

After she had the baby, she wanted to return to her "pre-baby weight," so she signed up for this expensive diet plan where all the food comes semi-premade in a box. My son has ...Read more

Dear Eric: Many years ago, I was married to a woman who, after we divorced, admitted she cheated on me with a married man. She asked for forgiveness, and I took her back.

Nevertheless, it didn't work out and, fortunately, we didn't have kids, so it was easy to finally get out of the situation. I'm happily married now, and I hear she is too.

I ...Read more

Dear Eric: My ex-husband and I were on fairly even financial footing when we divorced. Our incomes were similar, and we split the assets almost down the middle. He was a lazy, selfish, philandering husband, but he's a decent dad. Losing that 200 pounds of deadweight has freed me up to focus on advancing my career. My income has doubled, while ...Read more

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.

My husband and I are very worried. He doesn’t speak the language, although he is learning it. He hasn’t traveled by himself before and there are advisories for ...Read more