ArcaMax

Dear Eric: I have a friend I've known for four years. We all live in a 55+ community and have moved here from different areas of the country. We are a group of women who get together on a regular basis for outings.

Over the past couple of months, I feel somewhat left out because of a couple of events I wasn't included in. But what I'm trying to...Read more

Dear Anna,

I’m 28 and have been seeing a guy around my age for a few months. We clicked fast in conversation — texting every day and even saying good night, sharing long voice notes, that kind of early-stage excitement — but because of work and conflicting schedules, we’ve only managed a handful of actual dates.

Last week was my ...Read more

Today, let’s look at two different questions from two different clients. As always, if one person asks, I can only assume it is applicable to a larger audience.

And, interestingly enough, you’ll see that these questions are applicable to any gender and any age.

Q: I wanted to have a conversation with (him) about his more long-term goals ...Read more

Dear Eric: Our grandson, who is still married but separated from his wife of five years, wants to visit at Christmas for a week with his new girlfriend. We would love for him to visit but not with any new friend.

How can we tell him without hurting his feelings and damaging our relationship? Or should we open up our home to him and his new ...Read more

Marriage rates in the United States have plummeted nearly 60% since 1970, hitting historic lows amid rising divorce risks and financial pitfalls. This decline isn’t primarily a gender war but a finance-based crisis: The specter of divorce as a wealth transfer discourages commitment.

Enter China’s bold 2025 divorce law reforms, effective Feb...Read more

Dear Eric: I have a good friend whose memory seems to me to be slipping. She laughs it off, saying she has so much going on that she can’t remember things, but I think there is something else happening.

Should I say something and encourage her to see a doctor? I could talk to her husband to see if he is noticing anything. Maybe he should be ...Read more

Dear Eric: My late mother made a special Christmas cookie that required tedious decorating, considering each person's personal preference for toppings, and giving them as gifts to family and friends. They always had a place of honor on our family Christmas table.

When she was no longer able, she gave me the cookie cutter, and my daughters and I...Read more

Dear Eric: I'm a 47-year-old guy who has been with my wife, 44, for 12 years. Six years ago, we made the decision to uproot ourselves from city life and buy an acreage. We had long discussions about what this would entail – the work it needs, maintenance, et cetera.

My wife was very keen on the idea, and she assured me that she would be ...Read more

Dear Eric: My parents immigrated after World War II, arriving with $20 and a lot of determination. They worked hard, built a home, a successful business and raised five kids who all went to college and had many more opportunities than they did. Both of our parents passed away a few years ago and I miss them dearly.

One of my brothers has a long...Read more

Dear Eric: I'm the first to recognize we live in a different world than 20 or 25 years ago. That is to say everything seems to have become so fast-paced; everyone is always busy, no time for anything, expectations of instant gratification.

Is it becoming more commonplace to forgo what was once common practice? Recently, a close (immediate) ...Read more

Dear Eric: I allowed the daughter of a cousin, with whom I am not close, to move in with me while she finishes college. When she moved in last January it was supposed to be for a semester, but this is the longest semester I have ever seen.

We had an incident where she left gobs of hair all over my bathroom, which I had to clean up. I told her ...Read more