Dear Eric: I have a mid-20s nephew who appears to be afflicted with a severe case of failure-to-launch syndrome. He dropped out of college after six months, moved in with his mom (my sister), only interacts with peers via gaming and comes across as utterly apathetic and disengaged from the world.
Dear Eric: I am a non-observant Jew. My spiritual beliefs are very personal, and I don’t discuss them casually. My mother became a Christian. This is important because, as she went deeper into her Christianity, she made friends who shared her beliefs.
Dear Eric: I have been in a relationship with a man going on six years now. I love and care about him deeply. However, we have one serious problem in our relationship. He is always going to his ex-wife’s house. He goes there about three nights a week, coming home drunk afterward.
Dear Eric: I believe that Mary has the right to present herself as she chooses, and I am not at all uncomfortable with her having a beard. But I feel awkward pretending it’s not there.
Dear Eric: My husband’s parents are divorced. In the last year or so (after being married to their son for nine years) my in-laws have started communicating with me instead of my husband to make plans. Example: My husband called his dad to make New Year’s plans. A few days later, my father-in-law texted me with the details about times to arrive and eat.
Dear Eric: My pets ask so little of me and yet they give me so much.
Dear Eric: During a recent family visit, I spent a lot of time hearing about grown kids’ accomplishments. I asked questions and was a good listener. At one point, my husband read a story he’d written, and the family praised his efforts to the moon.
Dear Eric: My now-adult son does not know the extent of the abuse in my marriage because I hid it. Regardless, he is three times more likely to become an abuser himself simply because he grew up in an abusive home.
Dear Eric: We feel very sad about this since we spend many holidays alone. May I add that my spouse and I are pleasant people and so are they, but they never reach out to us except when they send an invitation for a function. We are perplexed by this. What can we do?
Dear Eric: Valentine’s Day is approaching and members of my family and friends send me “Happy Valentine’s Day” texts, knowing that I am a widow. They claim that Valentine’s is for everybody, not just couples.