Dear LFTP: the husband with terrible table manners, plus the Secular answer
- My husband of thirty-four years has terrible table manners that embarrass me when we go out. What can I do?
A host reads a Dear LFTP letter from a woman married thirty-four years whose husband smacks when he chews, gulps his drinks, stuffs huge amounts of food in his mouth, and wears ill-fitting pajama pants; she loves him but is embarrassed when they are invited out. The hosts riff by naming the couple Chuck and Nancy ('everybody knows Chuck's a slob'), one host relates by confessing his own wife's loud gum chewing, and the advice lands on boundaries: tell him plainly you will not go out with him acting that way, and accept that after thirty-four years he is unlikely to change. The Secular answer: have you talked to him about this, and if so, hand him a mirror or record a video of him eating.
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