Archives

DEAR SOMEONE ELSE’S MOM: My daughter was in a relationship with a man she thought would be her life partner, if not her husband in time.... more

DEAR SOMEONE ELSE’S MOM: After my son was mugged on his way back to his dorm in his freshman year, he found himself going through his own kind of PTSD. Thankfully he was not badly hurt, but he was hur... more

DEAR SOMEONE ELSE’S MOM: I really admire my fiancée, “T.” She started her own business doing custom etching and engraving.... more

DEAR SOMEONE ELSE’S MOM: When I was 18 I found out my father was having an affair with a woman we all knew from his office softball team.... more

DEAR SOMEONE ELSE’S MOM: I recently learned that my fiancé’s previous marriage was very happy, and they only got divorced because their teenage daughter suggested it.... more

DEAR SOMEONE ELSE’S MOM: When I interviewed for my current job, I was told my education and previous jobs positioned me well to advance quickly. That was a year and a half ago, and people who have sta... more

DEAR SOMEONE ELSE’S MOM: This is my fourth year teaching and the first with our new principal. He is, no pun intended, very old school.... more

DEAR SOMEONE ELSE’S MOM: My grandparents are two of the smartest and wisest people I know. But even they got scammed by a call that used AI to have my actual voice tell them I was being held in a Hond... more

DEAR SOMEONE ELSE’S MOM: The company where I work is owned by an older couple who are as conservative as you get. When their daughter came out years back, they just about threw her out of the family. ... more

DEAR SOMEONE ELSE’S MOM: When my three-year-old drew on my friend’s new cream-colored sofa with a bright green crayon during a playdate a few weeks ago, I felt so guilty. I told my friend that, of cou... more

DEAR SOMEONE ELSE’S MOM: I do customer service for what was a small, but successful software development company. My company was purchased by a medium-sized software venture, which is making a bid at ... more

DEAR SOMEONE ELSE’S MOM: After the family who rented the downstairs apartment moved out, we started seeing random roaches in our kitchen and back bathroom. We never had them before and to say they gro... more

DEAR SOMEONE ELSE’S MOM: Some of my friends think I’m weird, but I really, really love having my kids home from school. Summers and school breaks are the best! I even didn’t mind the COVID virtual sch... more

DEAR SOMEONE ELSE’S MOM: When my first wife and I bought our first home we really worked long and hard to save up for a decent downpayment and spent well under what our bank preapproved us for.... more

DEAR SOMEONE ELSE’S MOM: My mother died almost six years ago. She and my dad had a beautiful marriage, and he suffered terribly when she died. We all did. She was a real life force.... more

DEAR SOMEONE ELSE’S MOM: My husband and I retired late in 2021. We are lucky to be comfortable enough between our pensions and Social Security benefits.... more

DEAR SOMEONE ELSE’S MOM: My wife is what my mom calls “a health nut.” She is fit, eats all the right stuff, and practices mindfulness every day.... more

DEAR SOMEONE ELSE’S MOM: I have been having nightmares about what it will be like when I see my ex when I get back to college later in August.... more

DEAR SOMEONE ELSE’S MOM: My husband has a charcoal grill, a gas grill, and a Traeger, so we do a lot of outdoor cooking all year round, one of the best things about living in Southern California.... more

DEAR SOMEONE ELSE’S MOM: My nephew works at our local hospital’s thrift store.... more

DEAR SOMEONE ELSE’S MOM: My mother-in-law has had to be tough. She was widowed at an early age, right before my husband was born. She ended up taking over the IT business my father-in-law was starting... more

DEAR SOMEONE ELSE’S MOM: My son and daughter-in-law are both teachers. They had their third child late this past spring so my daughter-in-law could make the most of her maternity leave, rolling it int... more

DEAR SOMEONE ELSE’S MOM: My great-aunt is a great old lady. She has always been everyone’s second grandma, but she never had children of her own, so whenever she sends clothes for the kids in the fami... more

DEAR SOMEONE ELSE’S MOM: Like my mother, I am terrified of flying. As a kid, we only took car trips and one cruise because of how my mother was about flying.... more

DEAR SOMEONE ELSE’S MOM: My little sister was with her first boyfriend for a long time, I think it was like three years, maybe four. They were a good couple, but he wanted to get married and move with... more

DEAR SOMEONE ELSE’S MOM: I can’t believe how my girlfriend puts up with the nutjob she shares her apartment with.... more

DEAR SOMEONE ELSE’S MOM: My husband grew up in a military family. Both his mom and dad were active duty until right before he started college. Because they moved every two to three years for the whole... more

DEAR SOMEONE ELSE’S MOM: My big sister, “Jasmine,” has been a control freak all her life. We shared a room until she moved out when her job went fulltime and she could afford an apartment. It was her ... more