ArcaMax

DEAR HARRIETTE: Last week, I learned that the man I have been dating for two years is homophobic. I was shocked to hear that he's completely against the LGBTQ+ community. We are both in our 50s, but I didn't think he was into that kind of hatred, especially since he has always treated me and others around us with kindness and respect.

Recently,...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: My teenage daughter recently fell down the stairs and became paralyzed from the waist down. The adjustment has been difficult on her and the rest of our family. She used to be a very active girl who loved to play sports, and now she can't, which has caused her to become depressed. She has to watch from the sidelines, and I can ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: While I was in a Zoom meeting for work, I didn't realize I wasn't muted, and I shouted out how boring the meeting was and how I didn't give a crap about what we were talking about. The entire meeting went silent after I said it, and I immediately realized everyone had heard me. To make matters worse, my boss was at this meeting. ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I have a 22-year-old daughter who recently graduated college and moved back home. In high school, she developed obsessive-compulsive disorder and anxiety, and she missed a lot of social growth as a result. A couple of years ago, she started dating a guy I don't like. He is controlling; before they even started dating, he'd always...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I started dating a guy a couple of months ago. We're still getting to know each other, and recently he told me something new about himself, and I'm not sure how I feel about it. Sometimes we spend the night together, and yes, if you're wondering, when we do, we are usually physically intimate. Recently, he invited me over for a ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I am in my 70s and have been single for about 20 years. I am a vibrant woman, and I have wanted to be in a relationship for some time. A few months ago, I started dating a nice guy who is about 15 years younger than me. We get along great for the most part, but recently he revealed he has a lot of health issues. I think he had ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: My fiance's parents offered to pay for our wedding, which he and I both graciously accepted as we are not in the kind of financial standing to afford a nice wedding right now. At first, I didn't think anything of it, but now I realize this was a mistake as my husband's mom wants to have control over all the decisions.

When we ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: My co-worker keeps leaning on me for support even though we both are in the same leadership position and have our own teams to run. She gets frazzled when there's a lot on her plate. I'm the opposite: When I feel overwhelmed, keeping my composure is the only thing that helps. But because I am calm and don't panic when I have a ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: My neighbor ran over my cat and is lying about it, even though we captured it on our Ring Doorbell camera. Our cat is an indoor and outdoor cat, and during the day he likes to wander around the neighborhood. He is well-known by all our neighbors, and everyone loves to give him treats and pet him. One day, the teenage son of our ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I said "I love you" during sex, and I meant it. I've been dating my guy for less than a year, but I appreciate everything about him and our bond. We have grown so close in so little time, but I don't think he's quite there yet. When I said it, I really wanted him to know -- but my timing probably wasn't the best. I was just ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: My son is only two weeks into the school year, and he already got suspended for a week for making a politically inappropriate joke in class. His dad made the joke the night before, and our whole family laughed, so my son thought it would go over well in class. We told him there is a time and a place for these types of jokes and ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I got into a car crash eight months ago, and it has left my face permanently scarred. I am still not used to the way my face looks, and I'm extremely insecure. I can tell my husband isn't as attracted to me as he used to be, and my toddler looks at me like I am Frankenstein's monster.

I want to find ways to be more confident, ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I'm in an interracial relationship for the first time, and I'm struggling to figure out whether I'm genuinely uncomfortable or simply overthinking things because this is new territory for me. My partner seems to bring up race more often than I anticipated, even when it doesn't seem particularly relevant to the conversation or ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: My daughter's teacher asked me out on a date today and I said yes. However, I am worried about how this will affect her. I am a single mom to my 10-year-old daughter, and she is my world. I haven't been out on a date in four years and I'm nervous, especially because he is my daughter's teacher. My daughter really likes her ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: My son quit medical school about a year ago to chase his passion of becoming a model. He moved to New York City, but he hasn't been able to book many jobs. He also works part time as a server to be able to cover his living expenses. I will admit I am disappointed that he quit medical school to pursue a path that isn't working out...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: My 71-year-old husband is refusing to retire even though we have more than enough money for both our retirement funds. He's been working at the same bank for 45 years and won't let go of the company. I have told him so many times that it is his time to retire and rest, but he says he'll get bored without working. I understand his...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: Our pastor shamed my husband and me for not tithing to the church. My husband just lost his job, so we have cut down our tithings to essentially nothing. We used to give 20% to the church, but now we're left wondering how we are going to pay our bills if my husband can't find another job soon. We have always believed in giving to...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: A couple months back, I met a guy at a local festival. We exchanged our names, numbers and social accounts, and in the week following, we spent several nights on the phone talking and getting to know one another. We talked for hours and hours, and he asked me on our first date. He said he'd plan it within the next few days and ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: My mom finally got the chance to ring the bell! She beat the big C! After nearly eight months of supporting her through her diagnosis, her treatments, her hair loss, her mastectomy, her good days and her bad days, it feels unreal to begin putting this behind us. My mom is resilient and presses on, but I can see how tired she ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I recently read my teenage daughter's diary. I wasn't looking for anything in particular or worried that she was hiding something from me -- I was honestly just being nosy. She often leaves her diary lying around, so I convinced myself that perhaps she didn't consider it completely private. What I read, however, has left me ...Read more