Asking Eric: Florida heat might cause wife to leave husband
"I have been in central Florida for more than 26 years, and it has become...
Advice
Asking Eric: Brother’s boundaries are unreasonable
"I value family highly and don't think you can just decide that family isn't family."
Asking Eric: ‘Good’ sister stole family treasures while sister was on mission trip
"As far as they know, my sister is just a very successful, generous person, greatly...
Asking Eric: Dating apps lead to uncomfortable conversations
"I feel dumbfounded and feel maybe I need to be a little more lenient and...
Asking Eric: Estranged daughter considers resuming communication
"He's pushed away most family and longtime friends."
Asking Eric: Ailing person shamed for being too skinny
"Several women who I had never met cornered me and said that I was too...
Asking Eric: Estranged parents worry about will
"We can't do counseling with them as they don't acknowledge texts, phone calls, etc."
Asking Eric: Interracial couple’s social media posts called ‘racist’
"She unsent the message so I assume she realized she messed up, but she hasn’t...
Asking Eric: Friend’s harsh personality pushes people away
"Because I have earned the reputation of being her trusty friend (she’s clingy), when she’s...
Asking Eric: Girlfriend’s career goals are a red flag
"Our son is handsome, funny, intelligent and hardworking, but he doesn't seem to realize his...
Asking Eric: Friend posts ‘tacky’ Facebook death announcement
"Wouldn’t you think if someone wanted to send something and they didn’t know her address,...
Asking Eric: Unlucky in love friend needs help
"I don’t know what advice to tell him about how to be more interesting to...
Asking Eric: Father doesn’t know how to talk to daughter about mother’s infidelity
"It seems that no matter what, cheating spouses create a large blast area of emotional...
Asking Eric: Candidate husband doesn’t have spouse’s vote
"I can’t understand why he’s doing this at all. I don’t think he would be...
Asking Eric: Couple fears PDA is driving away friends
"We're not talking about tongue-in-mouth stuff, but kind words, admiring glances, holding hands, cuddling --...
Asking Eric: Suburban family holds ‘intervention’ for city-loving child
"I’m really happy here. It’s been five years and I don’t see any reason to...
Asking Eric: Resident wants to warn new homeowners about swinger neighbors
"The house on the other side of them is for sale. Should I let potential...
Asking Eric: Husband’s poor hygiene mars otherwise great marriage
"He doesn't brush his teeth enough, he doesn't take enough showers, he doesn't use deodorant."
Asking Eric: Couple considers breakup after years of drinks and drugs
"Am I being a total jerk? Or do I have a point? And if so,...
Asking Eric: Ill sister won’t seek medical care
"I’ve tried, without success, to convince her to see a doctor since waiting will only...
Asking Eric: Friend uses couple for their pool
"I feel that we are being used and do not know how to broach the...
Asking Eric: Parents want to be included in vacation activities despite mobility challenges
"My husband and I love to walk cities and routinely walk 10 to 12 miles...
Asking Eric: Aging mom seems disinterested in daughters
"She never asks about us or has any in-depth conversations about anything."
Asking Eric: Newly sober friend won’t make amends
"My friend thinks everyone should be very proud of him for 'getting clean,' but he...
Asking Eric: Bridge bully ruins game play
"This has caused so much friction, that I finally gave up playing with these three...
Asking Eric: Husband lies about his past
"I am hurt, but the main feeling I'm having right now is simply questioning the...
Asking Eric: Young widow left behind by spouse’s friends
"I am a reminder of days none of us will ever have again, but does...
Asking Eric: Widowed stepmother won’t return family heirlooms
"When I’ve asked for even small things with no significance to her, paintings, my great-grandmother’s...
Asking Eric: Friends constantly cancel on plans
Advice on relationships, family, work and everyday life with practical, compassionate guidance and a touch...
Asking Eric: Boyfriend asks partner to give up her dog
"has casually commented that maybe I could give him to my friend if I move...
Asking Eric: Congregant finds pastor on dating app
"Now he wants to go on an actual date, and I don’t know what to...
Asking Eric: Son rejects mother’s funeral wishes
"Though I know he loves me dearly, he is very stubborn."
Asking Eric: Family fears causing offense with conversation about race
Advice on relationships, family, work and everyday life with practical, compassionate guidance and a touch...
Asking Eric: Ex-husband lets brand-new girlfriend babysit son
Advice on relationships, family, work and everyday life with practical, compassionate guidance and a touch...
Asking Eric: Others often take advantage of generous giver
"Neighbors say they need something, but when I offer to lend it to them, I...
Asking Eric: Angry nephew forbids aunt from seeing her dying sister
"He sent me an email telling me how he hated me and our entire family...
Asking Eric: Widower finds love with married friend
"About six or so years ago I met another woman. She lights up my life,...
Asking Eric: Overeager relatives mar family visit
"We welcome your advice as to how or whether to say something or just let...
Asking Eric: Mandatory mental health days stress employee
"I like my coworkers and we get along well together, but I think it's a...
Asking Eric: Noisy neighbor kids mar backyard oasis
"Children literally screaming. I don't know what to do."
Asking Eric: Wife’s complaint gets husband in hot water at work
"So now I’m in trouble and I can’t shake the feeling that if my wife...
Asking Eric: Adult child of friends ruins parties
"What possible way can you ask someone to sit somewhere less central without being unkind?"
Asking Eric: Daughter’s needs drive parents deep into debt
"Now, once again, we are in credit card debt up to our necks (more than...
Asking Eric: After tragedy, daughter says mother’s love is only skin-deep
"She says our relationship is only skin-deep and that's not what she wants. She's happy...
Asking Eric: Cousin is a good cook with a filthy house
"The bathroom is also often filthy. You need to experience it to completely understand."
Asking Eric: Threadbare clothing causes embarrassment
"My coat has a small tear on the side. I can't afford to replace it....
Asking Eric: Ex-stepmother may lean on estranged stepson
"Now we usually exchange texts on Mother’s Day and birthdays. But otherwise, we have no...
Asking Eric: Siblings don’t show up for mother’s centennial
"I am very disappointed and disillusioned we can’t all be together to celebrate my mother...
Asking Eric: Friends’ prejudiced thinking leads to social isolation
"I have frequently 'ghosted' long-term acquaintances for using derogatory language, as I feel they aren't...
Asking Eric: 39-year-old too anxious to get a job
"As a result of his not working and constant need for financial support, his mother...
Asking Eric: 40-year marriage suddenly sours
"However, my spouse is generally negative and critical toward me, which is wearing on me."
Asking Eric: Local celebrity’s fame puts strain on relationship
"I’m considering breaking it off. I’m not sure I have it in me to be...
Asking Eric: Kitchen remodel divides couple
"We decided to remodel our ’80s kitchen. The process has caused some huge arguments."
Asking Eric: Husband of 40 years leaves abruptly
"My husband ran to a recently widowed friend. It’s been five years."
Asking Eric: After getting dumped, letter writer wants to date younger coworker
"I am thinking of dating her, but my friends said she is too young."
Asking Eric: Friend of a friend is an enemy
"How do I explain to D that I want to hang out with D but...
Asking Eric: Friend’s allergy creates dinner drama
"If we go out again with a group that includes this woman, would it be...
Asking Eric: Sister tries to sabotage new relationship with half-siblings
"Jodie is jealous of my friendship with these siblings and is trying to sabotage it...
Asking Eric: Family asks prying questions about religious conversion
"I want to be gracious, and I don’t mind questions about my Jewish practices or...
Asking Eric: Mother says ‘no politics’ but keeps talking politics
Dear Eric: I’m a 58-year-old daughter to a 94-year-old father and an 83-year-old mother. I...
Asking Eric: Girlfriend mocks boyfriend’s body
"Can you please advise how best to respond to my joke-a-minute girlfriend when she starts...
Asking Eric: Friend punishes those who tell him ‘no’
"I have seen with my own eyes this little tower of terror unleash his wrath...
Asking Eric: Neighbor offended but won’t say why
"I was so distraught as I cannot think of what I said to hurt her,...
Asking Eric: My married ex is still in love with me
"How can others politely encourage him to get over the past and start fully living...
Asking Eric: Friend left out of burial plans but still grieving
"Sadly, nobody contacted me as to when the burial was because I had to move...
Asking Eric: Friend has only unkind things to say about surgery results
"She refused to apologize and even asked me how I got my husband to marry...
Asking Eric: Gift-giver wonders about the donation etiquette
"Do you include any mention of your donation in a card you might bring with...
Asking Eric: Mother-in-law encourages husband’s problem drinking
"She blamed his hospital stay on poor diet despite the doctor’s diagnosis that his health...
Asking Eric: Kids moved away; parents unsure about following
"We are thinking about moving permanently to be closer to our oldest and grandchildren."
Asking Eric: Downsizing senior gives to everyone but best friend
"I'm also human and starting to feel left out of the largesse. Any tips on...
Asking Eric: ‘Third grandma’ feels sidelined
"I want both of us to bond with the grandchildren and I don't want to...
Asking Eric: Two sons vie to house parents
"For many reasons we would like to build on one son’s land and not the...
Asking Eric: Sister read and mocked stolen childhood journals
"I want the journals back, but is it too late? I feel ashamed to even...
Asking Eric: After saving man’s life, Good Samaritan never wants to see him again
"He has done nothing wrong. He is just not someone who I would choose to...
Asking Eric: Work-from-home spouse wastes company time
"I see him running personal errands, taking long lunches, playing video games and doing home...
Asking Eric: Family members’ experiments with AI raise alarm
"Is there a good way to set a boundary like this when you don’t have...
Asking Eric: Mother wants to move, but adult child won’t leave home
"I feel manipulated and just want peace in retirement."
Asking Eric: Boyfriend has to defer college and wants girlfriend to stay behind with him
"He says he’s going to get a job here and he said maybe we could...
Asking Eric: Customer followed after accidentally shoplifting
"I have never stolen anything in my entire life, and I am not about to...
Asking Eric: Significant other keeps tracking dirt into the house
"I tend to go barefoot often, and I can feel the grit on the hardwood...
Asking Eric: Couple hesitant to share good news after best friend’s miscarriage
"How do I broach this subject with my friend and let him know we are...
Asking Eric: Cousin’s dire premonition haunts divorcée
"I don't really even want to be around him as his words have left me...
Asking Eric: Sister’s death leaves questions for family
"There is a good amount of money now to divide up. I am the personal...
Asking Eric: Meet-and-greet with musician leads to infatuation
"I just can’t shake my infatuation and look forward to meeting this musician again. How...
Asking Eric: Neighbors react badly to person with autism spectrum disorder
"For the past year and a half that I've lived where I am, I have...
Asking Eric: Perimenopause treatment prompts awkward questions
"What's a good way to answer this question without going into personal details with acquaintances?"
Asking Eric: Niece bars aunt’s boyfriend from wedding
"I am very hurt by this decision and have decided not to go to the...
Asking Eric: Longtime friend always looking for a handout
"Even her sister has said Tillie is always holding her hand out for something."
Asking Eric: Letter writer regrets making new friend
"I was going to write to her and say this, but I do not have...
Asking Eric: Brother’s theft leaves family confused
"At this point, I have severed ties with him, but a part of me would...
Asking Eric: Grandfather’s gift to estranged grandchild may come with strings
"Should I encourage Avery to accept the gift as a loving gesture, despite the rejection...
Asking Eric: Daughter’s job frustrations trigger mother
"I try to make up for my shortcomings by doing all of the household chores,...
Asking Eric: Know-it-all friend always has answers even when she’s wrong
"Things came to a head when I told her she needed to stop giving me...
Asking Eric: Brother doesn’t want gay father’s ex at memorial service
"My brother and I (and my mother) were aware of Dad’s being gay and his...
Asking Eric: Mid-40s worker wants to drastically change life
"I keep having so much doubt and second-guessing myself, especially when others express such nervousness."
Asking Eric: Cousin’s AI manipulation mars treasured family photo
"I asked my cousin about the AI work and who had done it. More importantly,...
Asking Eric: Spouse refuses to ever apologize
"Counselors have in the past put the onus on me to preface any negative feedback...
Asking Eric: Accidental voicemail reveals sister-in-law’s true feelings
"I decided to do nothing at this time, but I want her to know that...
Asking Eric: Stepdaughter’s estrangement angers stepfather
"While I'm OK with it, this has hurt my wife more than I can describe."
Asking Eric: Daughter’s breakup hurts mother, too
"My son-in-law feels blindsided, as my daughter is asking for a complete break."