“My Sister Hates Me”

I’m 25 and my sister, “Julie,” is almost 20. Julie has always been difficult, but after our dad left five years ago, she started skipping school and getting underage piercings without permission. Around the time she stopped going to school and started sitting around doing nothing every day, she was prescribed anti-depressants. She eventually went back to school for the final few months of the year, but didn’t do well on her final exams. She did, however, get a year-long makeup artistry course in another city, and we all hoped she would find it rewarding and would be keen to get a job in the field. Mum supported her through the course,…

Quickies: “He Dumped Me But He Still Owes Me a Birthday Gift!”

My birthday was four months ago. At the time, my boyfriend gave me a picture of people skydiving as an I.O.U. for a skydiving trip (because he has always wanted to go), which he still hasn’t made good on. Last week he dumped me. As I walked out of his apartment, feeling pretty salty, I said “You owe me a skydiving trip.” We spoke yesterday to facilitate an exchange of borrowed books, clothes, etc. He said he wants to give me my birthday present. He was planning to just give me a gift certificate to a place, but he doesn’t want to get me something I won’t use and so he offered…

“I Regret Not Having a Baby With My Ex”

I recently broke up with my boyfriend of eight years, and though it was my decision to end things, I’m having a hard time deciding whether what I’m feeling is normal breakup sadness or regret. My boyfriend was my first real relationship (I had dated a lot before but never got serious with anyone) and my first love. He is older than I am and I was in my early/mid twenties when we got together. We come from different cultural backgrounds but had an amazing connection and talked about everything. Because I knew he loved kids, I was honest with him from the start that I never really saw myself becoming a…

Your Turn: “He Wants to Get Married Because He Needs a Place to Stay”

In a feature I call “Your Turn,” in which you, the readers, get to answer the question, I’m presenting the following letter without commentary from me: My boyfriend of almost four years, “Joe,” has still no stable job, no car, no apartment, no college degree, no health benefits or retirement plans. He is 34 and rents a room in an elderly lady’s home. This has been his story since he finished his military career. At one point he claimed to be financially stable, but then the market crashed and he lost everything after 9/11. I feel like by now he should be better off. We met online when he lived in NYC…

“He Cheated on Her and I Wish I Didn’t Know!”

From the forums: I became friends with a girl about a year ago, and we have become pretty close since then. We see each other every week, talk about life and relationships, work out together, hang out, and what have you. A few months ago, her boyfriend broke up with her after a business trip. A month or so after this, one of his coworkers who I am close to told me that the ex had unprotected sex with a girl while he was on that trip. Now, the ex-boyfriend is trying to get back with my friend. He mentioned to my friend he’d been tested for STDs after they broke up…

“I Think I’ve Found ‘The One’ and It Scares Me”

I am almost 32 and have been dating a great guy for about five months. We have a wonderful relationship, I love him, he loves me, and we are supportive of one another. I see a future with him, but sometimes I freak out. It is so overwhelming — this feeling of love. I want things to work out so badly that I get anxious sometimes. I’m pretty good at not showing him this, but sometimes it leaks out and he is always so reassuring. When you were dating your husband, Drew, did you experience this? That you feel you have met the right person and you get so nervous thinking what…

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