Dear LFTP: grandfather demands the Greek groom change his last name
- Should a grandfather be able to force a Greek groom to change his last name by withholding wedding money?
Mike (speaker-1, the Ben-verified Dear LFTP reader) reads a letter from a therapist: the bride's grandfather insists the Greek groom's long, unpronounceable last name must be changed after the wedding, gave the couple ten days to decide, and implied he will not help pay for the wedding if they refuse. The hosts first mock the therapist for writing to a show instead of handling it, then debate the grandfather: one suggests honoring him while refusing to disrespect the husband's heritage ('I leave my family and cleave to my new husband'), others suspect he dislikes the groom and picked the name as a battle, and the room invents the joke surname 'Hoopty Hooptopolis' for the unnamed groom.
More on Marriage
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Dear LFTP: the spontaneous husband and the 7 p.m. date
- My spontaneous husband starts a project at 5 p.m., fails to cancel our 7 p.m. date, and shows up late in work clothes. Please advise.
Mike reads the second letter: a planner wife of two years whose spontaneous husband started a household project at 5 p.m., agreed to cancel their 7 p.m. date, never told the other couple, then showed up 45 minutes late in work clothes.
From No. 601 · Humble Faithful Idiot
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Dear LFTP: the basement musician whose wife never asks him to play
- Am I asking too much to expect my wife to ask me to play, or should I just let it go and stop writing songs?
Mike reads a letter from a married-31-years basement musician and songwriter whose non-musical wife has never once asked him to play — he wonders if he's asking too much or should stop writing.
From No. 597 · Maybe A Word From God
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Dear LFTP: the reluctant grandmother
- Am I wrong to prefer not to drive an hour and a half to visit my husband's grandbabies?
Mike reads a Dear LFTP letter from a 56-year-old married twelve years who doesn't want to drive an hour and a half to visit her husband's grandbabies — she's 'not into babies or children' — and can't understand why he won't stop asking.
From No. 596 · Mr. Prayer Closet
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Dear LFTP: the incarcerated husband
- My husband is serving a life sentence and I have met someone new — what should I do?
- How would you counsel the incarcerated husband who wants to divorce his wife to free her from the marriage?
Mike reads a heavier letter: the writer's husband is serving a life sentence with the possibility of parole, having turned himself in a year and a half ago for a crime from…
From No. 596 · Mr. Prayer Closet