Archives

DEAR NATALIE: I want to bring my new girlfriend to my family’s Christmas gathering. They’re accepting of me, but they treat me like the "token gay" of the family. They often want to talk about trauma... more

DEAR NATALIE: No one likes my sister’s new boyfriend but she’s insisting on bringing him to our family Christmas gathering. He’s obnoxious, loud and argumentative. On top of that, they insist on bein... more

DEAR NATALIE: I recently discovered that my business partner has been stealing from me for years. I found out because my son-in-law – who is also an accountant – offered to handle my taxes this year. ... more

DEAR NATALIE: My brother wanted to propose to his girlfriend last month but didn’t have a lot of money for a ring. I had broken off my engagement earlier in the year because I caught my fiancé cheatin... more

DEAR NATALIE: My husband and I have worked to save for a house for many years. This past year, we finally scraped together enough money and we were excited about the prospect of owning our first home ... more

DEAR NATALIE: My daughters are constantly fighting. I had my eldest daughter with my first wife and my second daughter with my second wife ten years later. Both girls lived primarily with me and my se... more

DEAR NATALIE: I recently was diagnosed with terminal cancer and my husband decided to file for divorce one week after my diagnosis. He claims it has “nothing to do with my illness", but I disagree. Wh... more

DEAR NATALIE: My sister-in-law is very conservative and her children are home-schooled. My daughter, who is seven, is close with my eight-year-old niece and they play after school often. She came home... more

DEAR NATALIE: I’m in my late 50s and I have had two best friends for more than 30 years. The three of us love to go hunting, fishing, and enjoy the great outdoors together. Recently, our trips have be... more

DEAR NATALIE: My husband has been a serial cheater throughout our entire marriage. I have accepted this and love him, but I’ve turned a blind eye for many, many years. They have all just been physical... more

DEAR NATALIE: My best friend and I have known each other for over ten years. We met in college and just clicked on every level. I was out with a few of our other friends from college the other night t... more

DEAR NATALIE: My mom died recently and I was going through her things at her home, trying to clean up so that I can get the house ready for sale. I came across a box of letters hidden in the back of h... more

DEAR NATALIE: My good friend is dating someone who is originally from another country and has been here on a student visa. They are talking about getting engaged so that he can stay and see if their r... more

DEAR NATALIE: My father-in-law has always been a difficult person to deal with. He is in the early stages of dementia and has become even more challenging to be around. On top of this, he needs a diff... more

DEAR NATALIE: My husband and I have been having a very difficult time in our marriage the past few years. We don’t want to divorce, but we have fallen out of love. He asked me if we should try an open... more

DEAR NATALIE: I recently found out that my wife has been having an affair. I have been sick with long COVID and it has impacted our lives immensely, to the point where we haven’t been intimate in almo... more

DEAR NATALIE: I married into a very conservative, white family. I am Mexican and very proud of my heritage. My husband is the only “liberal” in his family and they have made fun of him for being with ... more

DEAR NATALIE: I gave birth last week and now have a little girl named Iris. She is beautiful and perfect and all good things. My husband and I are over the moon and so happy. This is our first baby af... more

DEAR NATALIE: I attended my best friend’s wedding over the weekend. During the reception (after the cake was cut!) my boyfriend of five years proposed to me on the dance floor. Everyone was so excited... more

DEAR NATALIE: My father recently passed away and he left me his substantial estate. He did not leave anything to my brother or my two other sisters. There was a lot of tension in our family before he ... more

DEAR NATALIE: My husband and I just celebrated our three-year wedding anniversary. To surprise him, I was going to update our closet. He loves clothes and I thought it would be fun to clear out the cl... more

DEAR NATALIE: My fiancé and I got into an argument the other night over travel. He wants to do a “guys’ weekend” in Vegas with a few of his friends in September. I told him that was OK, as I wanted to... more

DEAR NATALIE: My husband-to-be has two brothers who are more “country” than he is. They both open carry almost everywhere they go and I sarcastically said to them the other night at dinner, “Well, mak... more

DEAR NATALIE: For the last three months, I have been dating a woman who wanted to be exclusive. So we were – or at least I thought we were. We had been intimate during these months, as well. To make a... more

DEAR NATALIE: I have been divorced for three years and have two teenage boys. My younger son, who’s 14, has taken to music. He is learning to play guitar and I found him a great teacher, whose name is... more

DEAR NATALIE: After 24 years of marriage, my husband came out to me. I knew something was off in our marriage for a long time, but I never imagined that he was in the closet. I feel incredibly betraye... more

DEAR NATALIE: My mother and I have had a very difficult relationship for most of my life. She was very abusive towards me and once I became an adult, I cut her out of my life. My dad contacted me a fe... more

DEAR NATALIE: At the beginning of our relationship, my partner shared with me that he has a terminal disease with very little time left. I love him and decided to enter into a relationship with him. (... more