Dear LFTP: ending a 30-year relationship with the house cleaner
- Dear LFTP: How do I end a 30-year relationship with my house cleaner, and what do I owe her?
Mike reads a second Dear LFTP letter from a retired listener who wants to end a 30-year house-cleaning arrangement and asks what she owes her loyal cleaner. The hosts debate heads-up time (two months vs six), gift versus cash (flowers, 30 roses, jewelry, a company watch), and whether a large sum would feel insulting, landing on keeping the door open relationally while being honest the employment is ending. The Secular answer says to offer several months' salary and keep her on monthly — which the hosts roast as wishful thinking. The question of the right parting gift is punted to the complaint line.
More on Generosity
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Dear LFTP: the $4,200 loan that never came back
- How do I get past the sadness over the $4,200 loan my friend never repaid — do I just let it go?
The final Dear LFTP letter: a year ago a supposed friend asked to borrow money — her husband had left the country to renew his visa, her car was repossessed, she had no way to get to work.
From No. 603 · Found Out
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Dear LFTP: the $600 lawnmower and buying them a mower
- My nephew's wife took my $600, lied about it, and is avoiding me. Should I say something or let it go?
Mike reads a letter from someone who gave a nephew's wife $600 for a self-propelled lawnmower; she spent it, never bought the mower, and now avoids them.
From No. 587 · Coffee After Sunday
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Dear LFTP: the neighbor Tim and boundaries without guilt
- How can I end the friendship with my difficult neighbor Tim without sending him into a spiral?
Mike reads a letter from a self-described clean-freak friend of a hoarding, narcissistic, government-program neighbor named Tim: how to end the friendship without sending Tim into a spiral.
From No. 582 · Risky Business | Christian Risk-Taking, Community Engagement, Faith in Action
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Dear LFTP: the $99 birthday bill and "Jesus always pays"
- Was it wrong to be taken aback when I was expected to split the cost of a friend's birthday dinner?
Mike reads a letter from a man invited to a friend's birthday dinner at a popular restaurant: after the birthday boy excused himself, the waiter presented the bill and the nine…
From No. 580 · Not Sure | Old Testament Law, Holy Spirit Guidance, Christian Discernment