Archives

DEAR HARRIETTE: I am a woman of faith. Now that I am in my 40s, I can see even better how important my faith has been in my life. I know, of course, that I have worked hard and that has helped me to h... more

DEAR HARRIETTE: My husband is completely immersed in what I call conspiracy theories. He has always been like this, only now he’s focused on some financial investments that seem awfully risky. I don’t... more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I heard from a college friend the other day. He was letting me know that another friend’s father had passed. We graduated from college more than 30 years ago, but we have stayed connec... more

DEAR HARRIETTE: My son has been playing with Legos since he was about 5. He’s a teenager now, but this is still his gift of choice. He told me and my mother that what he wants more than anything for h... more

DEAR HARRIETTE: My family has adopted a family in need for Christmas for many years. We find a family at my sister’s church and figure out what they need and want for the holidays. Then we pool our re... more

DEAR HARRIETTE: My daughter goes to a majority-white school. We are African-American, but we love that she goes to this school because the education is excellent. Our one real concern is that there ar... more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I have been working so much that I am utterly exhausted. I have a great job, and I serve in a leadership role in two volunteer organizations. I love what I do, but I think I am spreadi... more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I recently moved across the country for a job. I’m excited about this opportunity, and things are working out pretty well so far. My issue is that I cannot travel home for Christmas. I... more

DEAR HARRIETTE: My sister just told me that she has diabetes. Her numbers were off the charts when she last went to the doctor for an appointment. I just went to the doctor for a physical and was told... more

DEAR HARRIETTE: All my friends are having babies these days. A few years ago, most of them were getting married. I feel like I am in a time warp. I am stuck somewhere different from my closest friends... more

DEAR HARRIETTE: My husband and I will be celebrating a big anniversary this year. I want to do something fun, and he couldn't care less. Usually, I go along with whatever he wants, but I don’t want to... more

DEAR HARRIETTE: My friends are beer drinkers. Whenever we hang out, they order rounds and rounds of beers, and I find myself ordering wine on my own. I don’t like beer and don’t want to drink it. They... more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I travel a lot for work. My co-worker who travels with me is has always driven for all the years I have worked at my company. On the last trip, he asked me if I would drive this time. ... more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I dated a guy for two years, and we even lived together for a year. I thought it was going well, but we broke up about six months ago. I didn’t tell my family because I felt embarrasse... more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I worked for a couple of years for a company that had a fantastic mission but horrible management. I couldn’t stay there because it was ridiculous how badly the management treated the ... more

DEAR HARRIETTE: My sister is full-figured, and she has great style. I decided to get her an item of clothing for Christmas, but I wasn’t sure of the size, so I sent her a text asking her what size she... more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I have a brother who is usually kind of nasty. When we talk on the phone, he is often bossy and judgmental. At Christmastime he softens up, though.... more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I am a gay man. I went clubbing with some of my good friends, and at one of the bars, I saw one of my co-workers’ husbands. I went over and said hello to him so I could see for sure wh... more

DEAR HARRIETTE: My son’s seventh-grade teacher contacted me to say she was worried that my son is not reading enough. She thinks this is why he doesn’t do so well in humanities and is a slow reader. H... more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I have married into a kooky family. For the most part, we all get along well. We do not share the same political views, though. In the past few years, things have gotten contentious fr... more

DEAR HARRIETTE: My immediate family and I spent Thanksgiving with our extended family, as we always do. This year, my teenage son was spending time with his older cousins, and they hung out at stores ... more

DEAR HARRIETTE: Years ago, my husband and I got into a series of nasty arguments, and while we stayed together, we retreated to different parts of the house and stopped being intimate.... more

DEAR HARRIETTE: My husband’s ankles swell sometimes -- really, kind of a lot. Whenever I bring this up to him, he shrugs it off.... more

DEAR HARRIETTE: The girl I’ve been calling my best friend for years has just done the worst possible thing. She made up a story about me that was horrible and then told it to everybody in our grade. W... more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I have three children. Two are under 5 years old. My oldest is 10. My concern is that we are getting close to Christmas, and it’s getting harder and harder to manage the children’s exp... more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I know a woman who is active in a multilevel marketing company. She hounds me to become part of her network, and I find it annoying. I like the woman enough, but I think I have to cut ... more

DEAR HARRIETTE: My next-door neighbor is pregnant. I know because another neighbor in my building told me, but my neighbor hasn’t said anything directly. I know when I was pregnant I didn’t tell anyon... more

DEAR HARRIETTE: My brother told me he was diagnosed with diabetes. When he went for a medical checkup, the doctor tested him and his A1C number was extremely high. He was prescribed a particular medic... more