Dear LFTP: the 16-year-old and the mom's friend
- A friend of my mom's singles me out at church with extended hugs and questions about dating, and it makes me uncomfortable — any suggestions?
A 16-year-old football player writes that a friend of his mom's singles him out at church every Sunday with extended hugs and questions about dating, making him uncomfortable and embarrassed; his mom dismisses it as affection. The hosts debate whether he is oversexualizing a nice old lady's hugs or genuinely sensing something creepy, land on advising him to be honest ('this makes me uncomfortable') or have his mom handle it, and riff on porcupine suits, sharp objects, and air horns. The 'Secular' answer is read: listen to his gut, tell his mom, avoid the hugs, change the subject — which the hosts call the worst advice, since it ignores the problem instead of telling the truth.
More on Boundaries
-
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
-
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
-
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?
-
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