Dear LFTP: the man who wants her hand but not a relationship
- Is the man who wants to hold her hand but won't date her playing hard to get?
Mike (speaker-0) reads the second letter: a 54-year-old woman met a man who asked her to coffee, then said he isn't marriage- or dating-minded — and then asked to hold her hand. She feels drawn to him and wonders if he's playing hard to get. The hosts are unanimous: he is sending the most straightforward message possible — 'I want the perks with none of the commitment' — and she should run, find good married lady friends to speak into her life, and stop mistaking male straightforwardness for mystery. The Secular answer: he isn't sending mixed messages at all. Comedy peak: 'he wants to hold some phalanges while he's drinking some coffee.'
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