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I’m only seventeen years old, so you’re probably wondering why I’m worried about relationships instead of school. Well, this boy has been my best friend for almost five years and my boyfriend for almost three. His mother and I fell into not getting along when she decided to gang up on him for spending too much time with me. His mother and I had a few words, later resulting in him dumping me. We stayed away from each other for a while and I even dropped out of high school to pursue earning my GED and beginning college early. We’re now back together, so it seems. We are sexually active, text each…

I have been friends with this man, “Daryl,” for 10 years. He and I have always been drawn towards each other, but never acted on it, as I was in a long term relationship for 8 years until recently. He and this girl, “Karen,” had a baby, and were together for the first couple of years after having their son. Their relationship was challenging, but they both stepped up to be amazing parents to their son. He discovered she was pregnant after calling to break up with her. After hearing the news, they decided to try and make it work. He is 52 and she is 31. I am 28. Karen and…

It’s time again for Shortcuts. For every question, I’ll give my advice in just a few sentences because sometimes the answer to a person’s question is so obvious and the need to hear it so great that being as clear and frank as possible is simply the best way to go.

I’ve been dating this guy for about a year and a half. About six months ago I moved four hours away for the job of a lifetime (!) – seriously, it was an offer I just couldn’t refuse and he was and still is supportive of the decision. Before then we lived about an hour apart and both lived with our parents. We had both recently graduated from university at the time. Now we both live in our own apartments – four hours apart. For Christmas I’m driving back to my hometown (which is now about 30 minutes from him, since he moved at almost the same time as I did). I…

Nearly three years ago, I divorced the man I’d been with for over ten years. The very next night at a party I met what was supposed to simply be a rebound. On our third date, as I was trying to figure how to tell him I was going through a divorce, he dropped a bomb on me: he was going through a divorce as well. Great! Neither of us is emotionally available so no one can get hurt here, right? In typical rebound fashion, things moved very fast, but I’d never met anyone like this guy. Within our four-month relationship, we were together nearly every day, and we saw each other…

I hope you can help me out by sending me a sample letter to send my estranged son of two years. Why he is estranged doesn’t matter any longer, but I would like to mail him a letter to invite him and his family to our home for Christmas. I just can’t seem to put a letter together. PLEASE help me? Thanking you in advance — Sandy from CT