Daughters make mom rethink relationship

DEAR HARRIETTE: My adult daughters absolutely refuse to call or visit their father, and it’s become a constant point of tension in our family. I’m still married to him, and while they love me, they make it clear they want nothing to do with him.

The need for Advent music playlists

The perfect Lutheran hymn is “O Lord, How Shall I Meet You” for the weeks before Christmas, but shoppers will never hear it between Muzak versions of “Jingle Bells” and “White Christmas” in their local malls.

Stuck between safety, emotional attachment

DEAR HARRIETTE: I’m a 75-year-old woman who has lived in the same charming walk-up apartment in New York City for more than 40 years.This place has seen me through marriage, motherhood, widowhood and every season of my life.

DO JUST ONE THING

• There’s no need to buy shredded paper or gift-bag filler from a store when you can easily make your own. Older paper shredders are great for turning scrap paper or junk mail into filler. You can also invest in a pair of shredder scissors, which let you manually create long paper strips.

It’s better to be sick in Mexico right now

I hate getting sick.Maybe being in Mexico while I’m sick is marginally better than being sick back at home in the U.S. because it is warm here and I can sit out in the sunshine like a big, grumpy gecko and soak up the sun.

Colleague is always late to events

DEAR HARRIETTE: My colleague has a tendency to be unapologetically late, and I can’t stand it! We’ve traveled together in the past for work, and I have seen firsthand how careless he can be with his time – even for work functions.

Myths linking immigrants to crime

After two National Guard members were gunned down by an immigrant from Afghanistan, President Trump immediately seized on the shooting to escalate nativist fears of foreigners.“This attack underscores the single greatest national security threat facing our nation,” he bellowed.

The facts have always been the facts

Nearly four years ago, on Jan. 18, 2022, I wrote about a frenzy that was sweeping the anti-Trump world.

Dog park behavior stresses out dog owner

DEAR HARRIETTE: I go to a dog park weekly, and there’s one dog owner who keeps letting their dog jump all over me and my dog, even though I’ve repeatedly tried to set boundaries.

Morton’s neuroma causes sensation of pressure

Dear Doctors: This weird thing keeps happening where it feels like the sock in my left shoe has gotten wadded up underneath the ball of my foot. Every time I check, nothing is wrong. Is something wrong? My health insurance isn’t very good, so deciding to see a doctor is a big deal.