Archives

DEAR HARRIETTE: A friend came by to visit me the other day, and the whole time she was coughing. It was strange, given how hyper-vigilant everybody got about wearing masks during the height of the COV... more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I've been a diversity, equity and inclusion coach for about six years now, and it's been a great experience -- I love working with professionals of all ages and helping them learn, gro... more

DEAR HARRIETTE: My friend recently started doing stand-up comedy. He is usually hilarious, but I found his on-stage act more offensive and played-out than funny. We are both Indian, and the jokes he m... more

DEAR HARRIETTE: My boyfriend invited me to go on a trip with him next month. I spent most of my extra money on holiday gifts and travel. I cannot afford to spend extra money on a trip before I recoup ... more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I have been making the same dumb mistakes in relationships since I was a young woman. Now I am in my 30s, and it’s getting old. I just can’t seem to pick someone who will treat me righ... more

DEAR READERS: I want to wish you the happiest of holidays as we enjoy this special season. Whatever your spiritual practice, this is the time that family and friends gather and share love, great food,... more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I have lots of vacation time left that I cannot roll over. I only realized it the other day, and it’s already almost the end of the year. I asked my boss if I can take time off right n... more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I am worried about my mother's newfound habits. She used to drink, and I was the one who pleaded with her to quit, but now she has turned to other unhealthy behaviors instead. I don't ... more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I have a co-worker who has serious B.O. I know he showers and takes care of himself, even though he doesn’t smell like it. We were on a business trip recently and had to stay in the sa... more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I have been traveling a lot for work and generally overdoing it, and I don’t feel well. I know that I do not have COVID-19. For my job, I have had to get a COVID-19 test every day for ... more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I have a friend who suffered a serious health setback earlier this year. She is improving. In some ways, it seems miraculous. But there is still a lot of rehabilitative work to do. The... more

DEAR HARRIETTE: My husband has always smoked weed, but ever since quarantine, he has smoked every day, often starting at 7 a.m. and going throughout the day. Even though he’s back at work in a hybrid ... more

DEAR HARRIETTE: My husband and I are working through some tough financial issues. We lost a lot of money due to bad investments, business deals and poor money management, and now we are struggling bad... more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I went to a birthday party recently for a teenager in my family. It was at an amusement center that featured all kinds of fun activities, including a big arcade. We ended up playing vi... more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I am a serious night owl. I work long hours and need time to unwind. I don’t do all that much at night, but I don’t go to sleep. I watch movies sometimes, or binge watch stupid TV show... more

DEAR HARRIETTE: Christmas is approaching. Last Christmas was difficult for me. I visited my family, and we argued for the majority of my trip. My dad, in particular, was extremely rude to me and made ... more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I work for myself, and the past couple of years have been very good. Oddly, the pandemic was profitable for my business. But now things are changing. As is always true, the end of year... more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I only work part-time for a small business that is run by two people. I work remotely. I used to work full-time, but part-time made more sense for me and my schedule. Sometimes I think... more

DEAR HARRIETTE: A close friend of mine is very negative, and lately it feels that the negativity is always aimed at me. She throws subtle jabs at my career choices, the people I date, the other friend... more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I’m in a serious relationship with a man who, like myself, has two children from a previous relationship. His kids are about two years older than mine, but all of them are in elementar... more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I’m getting married soon. Planning the wedding has been stressful for a lot of reasons, but one of the main reasons has been my fiance’s groomsmen. One of the groomsmen's girlfriends i... more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I went on vacation for a week and decided to unplug. I didn’t speak to friends, family or anyone who could be reached only by phone. I’m back now, and I can't help but think about how ... more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I woke up in the middle of the night dreaming about an old boyfriend. I haven’t talked to him in years, but I recently learned that his wife of more than 20 years passed away. I wonder... more

DEAR HARRIETTE: My parents have become very unpleasant in their old age. I try to visit them as often as I can, but their attitudes these past few visits have made them increasingly harder to be aroun... more

DEAR HARRIETTE: One of my oldest friends is going through a messy separation with his wife. My friend was caught having an affair, which resulted in his wife kicking him out of the house. He asked me ... more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I worked on a project years ago that drove me crazy. I loved the work, but the leader of the business was impossible to deal with. I left after about seven years. They recently invited... more

DEAR HARRIETTE: My son’s birthday and Christmas are close together. Some years, I have gone all out for both, getting him all kinds of things for his birthday and turning around to do the same for Chr... more

DEAR HARRIETTE: Now that people are going out again, my husband and I have attended a few events with friends and others. I notice that he turns on the charm big-time in front of other people, but whe... more