A Longtime Boyfriend's Guilty Secret Revealed
In a relationship that has spanned over two decades, a woman is left feeling excluded from her boyfriend's annual tradition. His ex-wife visits him for an extended period each year, accompanied by another female friend, and he showers them with attention. Meanwhile, the girlfriend is never invited to join in on the festivities, despite expressing interest.
Many would argue that this behavior borders on disrespect, leaving the girlfriend feeling resentful and overlooked. It's a peculiar dynamic, especially considering how she extends the same courtesy to her own guests. Left Out in Florida wonders if it's time for her to take a break from her boyfriend's absence during these annual getaways.
In contrast, 76-year-old Solitary Stroller in the East faces a different challenge altogether – avoiding confrontations with dog walkers on her neighborhood walks. Rather than seeking evasive maneuvers, she should simply smile and keep walking, maintaining friendliness without obliging to extended encounters.
On another note, 80-year-old Stuffed With Stuff in Massachusetts is tired of receiving an excessive number of gifts from her family members during holidays and birthdays. To address this issue, she should have an open conversation with each of them, explaining that while the gestures are appreciated, they've taken up too much space and create clutter.
As Dear Abby's advice often conveys, honesty and empathy can go a long way in resolving such sensitive matters without straining family relationships.
In a relationship that has spanned over two decades, a woman is left feeling excluded from her boyfriend's annual tradition. His ex-wife visits him for an extended period each year, accompanied by another female friend, and he showers them with attention. Meanwhile, the girlfriend is never invited to join in on the festivities, despite expressing interest.
Many would argue that this behavior borders on disrespect, leaving the girlfriend feeling resentful and overlooked. It's a peculiar dynamic, especially considering how she extends the same courtesy to her own guests. Left Out in Florida wonders if it's time for her to take a break from her boyfriend's absence during these annual getaways.
In contrast, 76-year-old Solitary Stroller in the East faces a different challenge altogether – avoiding confrontations with dog walkers on her neighborhood walks. Rather than seeking evasive maneuvers, she should simply smile and keep walking, maintaining friendliness without obliging to extended encounters.
On another note, 80-year-old Stuffed With Stuff in Massachusetts is tired of receiving an excessive number of gifts from her family members during holidays and birthdays. To address this issue, she should have an open conversation with each of them, explaining that while the gestures are appreciated, they've taken up too much space and create clutter.
As Dear Abby's advice often conveys, honesty and empathy can go a long way in resolving such sensitive matters without straining family relationships.
meanwhile, I feel for solitary stroller who's tired of dealing with confrontations on her walks - a friendly smile can go a long way in diffusing tension 
and stuffed with stuff needs to set some boundaries with her family, no more clutter 
or maybe shes just chillin, not worried about what others think 
. dont get me wrong, gifts r lovely, but clutter is no joke 
So I was thinking, if someone's been with their partner for 20+ years and still keeps these super secretive traditions from their exes going on without including them... that just feels like really poor communication and trust issues 
And yeah, it's not cool to make your girlfriend feel left out of something that's supposed to be a special time. 
It's all about respect and trust, you know? And just having those big conversations can clear the air and avoid future misunderstandings 
Like, if dog walkers are being rude to her on walks, she shouldn't have to change who she is just to accommodate them. She should just keep smiling and stay confident 
It's great that your family wants to show their love, but yeah, too many gifts can be overwhelming. Just having a calm chat with everyone about it might make things more manageable 
. I think it's high time for him to take responsibility for his actions and make some changes.
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... I mean, I get it, gifts are nice, but not at the cost of your entire house being overrun with stuff!
Those dog walkers can be super rude 
. But I think your approach is spot on – just smile, be friendly, and move on. No need to escalate the situation or let their behavior get under your skin.
...family love is great, but too much stuff (literally) can be overwhelming. Kudos to her for being honest with her family about setting some boundaries – it's not easy, but it's necessary!
. It's not cool that she was always invited to their little family reunions or whatever. Can't he see how hurtful this must be for her? I'd totally consider taking a break from him if I were in her shoes 
. If you don't want to talk to dog walkers, just say so! Or better yet, invest in some cool headphones and enjoy your walks in peace 
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for not inviting his GF to join him and his ex-wife for their annual thing! I mean, two decades together and he's still got it bad for the ex? How about showing some love to the person who's been with you through thick and thin? 
. Just being friendly and smiling might not be enough to diffuse the tension every time, so kudos to her for being proactive.