Dear Neil: I’m in a four-year relationship with a man who just turned 40. We have been talking about marriage and kids for over two years now, almost always in conversations brought up by me. I’m almost 32, and I’m ready to start a family. My boyfriend has said he has real fears about having […]
Dear Neil: I have been married for 10 months. I have a wonderful husband who takes great care of me and my son. He is a very nice guy, and I am a very spoiled lady. Sometimes I feel like I have the perfect life with a man who is my best friend. But I […]
Here’s how it feels: your child—or your last child, the baby—has gone off to college, gotten married or otherwise left home, and you are struggling with conflicting emotions. On the one hand, you’ve waited for this day a long time. You’ve fantasized about it, dreamed about what you would do when you had more time […]
Dear Neil: I have dated a guy for 6 months. I’m 38; he’s 60.When we first got together, I told him I didn’t want my heart broken. He said: “I’m not the heartbreaking type. I’m usually on the other end of that.” He wanted to be exclusive early on, and suggested that we spend our […]
Dear Neil: I have saved a column you wrote over a decade ago called “Husbandry 101: For Committed Men.” My copy has yellowed and frayed over the years, so could you rerun that column again? I believe many would like to see it again. Boulder, Colorado Dear Boulder: You bet. Here is a list of […]
Dear Neil: My boyfriend and I have been together over three years. During a break in our relationship, I had a one-night stand. I told him about it, and now he is very jealous because he didn’t get the opportunity that I did. We are now back together, but he still talks about the desire […]
The variety of couples in the news who are separating or divorcing is a sober reminder that our intimate relationships are fragile and can break—and that they must be handled with proper care and maintenance. Many things can go wrong in a marriage. But there are things you can do—or stop doing—that directly relate to […]
Over the course of my career as a marriage counselor, I have heard thousands of stories about intimate relationships that have gone wrong. Love, which takes much less effort in the beginning of a relationship, increasingly requires far more effort, relational skills and stick-to-it-ness as the relationship matures. Because of the almost unlimited number of […]
When was the last time you took a class attempting to learn something you’ve never explored before? Or the last time you experimented with a brand new recipe? When did you last go dancing, pick up a musical instrument, play tennis or learn a new card game? Want to know why you’re in a rut? […]
Dear Neil: I have been in a two-year long-distance relationship with my boyfriend. We always talk, I love him very much, and it feels as if he loves me. He is very caring and has always been there for me when I have needed him. I’ve never met anyone else who really cares for me […]