Dear LFTP: the single man and the holiday cliques
- Would it be wrong for the lonely single man to start declining holiday invitations?
The first Dear LFTP letter: a single man, happy with his life and plenty of friends and family, dreads the holidays — at Thanksgiving and Christmas gatherings of 15 to 25 people, everyone breaks into cliques while he sits with no one engaging him, leaving him depressed and lonely; would it be wrong to decline the invitations? The room's counsel: 'come and knock on our door' — the Three's Company theme with John Ritter — stop sitting in the bushes waiting to be invited in and go join a clique; don't pout, don't force it, be pleasant, ask about the kids, ask Steve about retirement. Silas, himself a single man, says any isolation he ever felt was his own fault: 'I isolated myself... drive myself, have fun, and then when I'm done, I can cut a trail' — the Irish goodbye. Detour: the AI going through old episodes keeps asking 'in episode 316, who's Chad?' — a make-believe nothing, though 'Where's Chad? That's not your concern, Mom' becomes a running bit. The Secular answer: 'you are in charge of your own destiny' — get up and join the groups, or come for a short visit and leave; but 'you got to tell your mama why you didn't show up for Christmas,' and 'if you don't show up and nobody says anything, that's probably the hint.' Alternative exit strategy: 'go serve in a kitchen or something.'
Clips from this
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Stop waiting for an invitation to join in
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Dear Live From The Path — the holiday guest who would rather stay home
Hear the full conversation →
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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: the grandma, 'Libby,' and the weight comment
- Was I wrong to mention my concern about Libby's weight?
Mike reads the letter: she moved 2,000 miles to be near her daughter's family; granddaughter 'Libby' was diagnosed with a medical condition and put on weight.
From No. 602 · Relationship Counseling
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Dear LFTP: the Mimi letter ('Call Me Hoopi')
- Is it wrong for a grandmother to be upset when her grandson's other grandmother claims the same nickname?
Mike reads the Dear LFTP letter: a grandmother whose two-year-old grandson calls her Mimi — but the other grandmother claimed Mimi for herself, and the daughter-in-law is annoyed and doesn't want 'mom mom' either.
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Dear LFTP 2: unequal in-law cash gifts
- Am I petty for feeling less valued over unequal in-law cash gifts?
Mike reads the second letter: every year the writer's in-laws give cash to all children and spouses equally — except her, who gets half — while she hosts every celebration, visits weekly, and helps with repairs.
From No. 593 · Do You Hear What I Hear