DEAR ABBY: I have been divorced for seven years from my 28-year-old daughter's father. She doesn't understand why I date and keeps asking me why I can't just stay single. She said if I do find a boyfriend, she'll refuse to meet him. She insists that if a man is in my life, he does not have to be in hers. This makes holidays and special events hard. What should I say to her? -- GETTING OPPOSITION IN AUSTIN, TEXAS
DEAR GETTING: You and your daughter are both adults. Tell her that you want to date and have companionship for the same reasons she does. Then point out that she does not have the right to dictate how you should live the rest of your life, and if she chooses not to meet someone who brings her mother happiness, it will be her loss and not yours.