Note: This is the second of a two-part series. Here are things to examine before you consider marriage: You must respect what your partner does for a living. This can be particularly challenging in today’s depressed economy when someone is more likely to accept any job they can find, even a menial one, and not […]
Note: This is the first of a two-part series. Dear Neil: I’m getting ready to pop the question, and wondered whether you have any guidelines about knowing whether someone would be a good choice for me. We are different in so many ways, but we enjoy many of the same things, we get along well, […]
Note: This is the second of a two-part series. The opposite of mothering a grown man is to act like a little girl around him. Little girls get lots of attention for being sweet, cute and vulnerable. As a grown woman, are you using little girl tactics as a way to attract or to keep […]
Note: This is the first of a two-part series. Dear Neil: Am I doing something wrong, or are men just needy and selfish? Among the many things I have done for my boyfriend, here are a few: choosing his clothes for him when we’re together, and laying them out on his bed in the morning; […]
In preparation for Valentine’s day, here are a collection of romantic ideas, seductive gestures, caring attitudes and loving behaviors, taken from Cindi Haynes and Dale Edwards in their book: 2,002 Romantic Ideas (Adams Media Publishers). When shopping for gifts, think extra-special, romantic, unique to your partner’s tastes, nonpractical, tasteful and meaningful. Kiss goodnight. Kiss goodnight […]
The problem is familiar to most of us. Whether it originates from tension, stress, problems at work, problems with a child, disagreements, arguments, money worries, health concerns or any number of other reasons, sometimes you and your intimate partner get angry with each other, and tempers between the two of you flare. It can be […]
If you’ve ever had someone you love and care about say to you: “I love you, but I’m not in love with you,” you will know how disorienting and puzzling it is to hear such words. But what about the person who says those words? If you have been thinking or verbalizing those words recently, […]
Dear Neil: My boyfriend and I haven’t been together for very long. We fell in love very fast, and have suffered a miscarriage. Since then he has become more obsessed with his autonomy and having space, and he has been emotionally distant. He is yet to be divorced (he’s taking his time), and I found […]
Dear Neil: We have had trouble with our daughter-in-law for years. She has decided to not let us into our son’s life, or our grandchildren’s lives. We have tried to make amends, but to no avail. We love our grandchildren, but are not allowed any contact. Do you have any recommendations? Hurting in Bristol, Tennessee […]
Note: This is the second of a two-part series. Click here for part one Here are a series of questions designed to assist you in evaluating how you feel about your mother. These questions come courtesy of Jasmin Lee Cori in her book The Emotionally Absent Mother (The Experiment Publications). Even if your mother is no […]