DEAR ABBY: Several months ago, I met and fell in love with an amazing woman I'll call "Maria." My problem is, although she makes me happy, and it thrills me to hear that she wants to spend the rest of her life with me, she kids me about breaking up on a regular basis. Sometimes it'll be a simple, "We're over! Oh -- just kidding," or, "We're done! I need a new man -- just kidding."
This humor of hers hurts a lot. She justifies it by saying that I don't have a sense of humor and that I take things too seriously. Abby, I love Maria with all my heart, and I want to have a future with her. But it hurts every time she does this. What should I do? -- ETHAN IN WAYNETOWN, IND.
DEAR ETHAN: Because your girlfriend is such a "kidder," how about testing her sense of humor? The next time she announces the relationship is over, agree with her. Say, "Yup! It's over!" If she can dish it out, she should be prepared to take it. However, if she can't, it's time you two had a serious discussion about passive-aggressive behavior -- because if you have told her that her teasing is painful and she persists, that is what she's engaging in.