Dear LFTP: Connie and the towel
- Is Connie walking around in only a towel socially acceptable, or is it me, and what should I say or do next year?
A host reads a Dear LFTP letter from a woman whose boyfriend joins a fifteen-year-standing diving group in New Mexico; sharing a condo, another woman named Connie walks out of the shared bathroom in only a towel and chats with the boyfriend on the deck, and the writer asks whether she is overreacting and what to say or do next year. The hosts put the onus on the boyfriend to set the boundary out of respect for the relationship, suggest jealousy may be in play, and note a towel covers more than the bikinis the group has worn diving for fifteen years. The secular answer agrees: get to know Connie, and if she still feels threatened, talk to her boyfriend.
More on Boundaries
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Dear LFTP: the mother-in-law moved in
- My mother-in-law moved in seven months ago and it’s been difficult — how can we sort this out?
The last letter comes from a wife whose mother-in-law moved in seven months ago with no boundaries, rising bills, unpaid prescriptions, and open disrespect.
From No. 604 · Rearview Mirror
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Dear LFTP: Ralph calls three or four times a week
- How can I get my retired friend Ralph to call less frequently without being rude?
The letter: 'Ralph,' a longtime best friend, retired and is bored, so he calls three or four times a week 'even when there's nothing new to talk about,' rehashing the same things; subtle hints haven't worked; letting it go to voicemail just earns a callback request.
From No. 602 · Relationship Counseling
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Dear LFTP: the senior-living handshake letter, and the close
- How can a senior-living resident politely decline the dining-room manager's handshakes?
Mike reads the second Dear LFTP letter: a senior-living resident whose dining-room manager (Manny) shakes hands at residents' tables, and who dodges with wet or greasy hands — how to decline politely?
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Dear LFTP: the fiance who games until 5AM
- What should the letter-writer do about her fiance's all-night gaming habit?
Mike reads a Dear LFTP letter from a woman engaged five years to Dustin, who games from 10PM to 5AM, skips chores, and gives her no attention; talking has not helped since 'he grew up gaming.'
From No. 598 · Emphasis | Accountability, Worship and Praying with Strangers