Dear LFTP: the kitten, the grief, and the manipulation
- My 34-year-old daughter brought home a kitten without asking during her grief — how should I handle this?
A mother writes that her 34-year-old daughter, living at home to get ahead on student loans, brought home a kitten from her late cousin's pets after the cousin's suicide — without asking — and now claims the mother doesn't care about her grief. The hosts agree the daughter was flat-out wrong ('a host notes she is 34 and older than Boova'), that feelings mislead and can't drive decisions, and that the daughter's two-options framing ('if you don't let me have this cat, you don't care about my grief') is manipulative behavior that should not be rewarded. Secular's answer suggests letting her keep the cat, which the hosts reject. The episode closes with the sign-off: be faithful in the means; God will handle the ends.
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