DEAR HARRIETTE: My husband does not like social media and forbids me to post pictures of him. I made the mistake years ago of posting a shot of him, and he got so mad. I follow his directions now. People have started asking me if we got divorced because I always show pictures of me with other people, but never with him. How should I handle this? -- Missing Husband, Seattle

DEAR MISSING HUSBAND: Your husband has the right to want his image to remain private. There are plenty of people who agree with him about staying off social media. As with everything, there is a downside.

I suggest that you tell your husband that people have asked if you are divorced because he is invisible on your social media pages. Ask him if you can sparingly post shots of the two of you together. Since you are an avid social media user, you want him to be a part of that world with you -- if only here and there.

If he says no, honor his request. When you get the question about the status of your marriage, proudly respond by saying how long you have been married -- and leave it at that!

DEAR HARRIETTE: I know a lot of people are excited about gay marriage and all, but I have family members who are still homophobic. We have a cousin who's gay, and he has been talking more openly about it these days. Well, my great aunt heard him and went off, talking about how it's a sin and he should be ashamed of himself. It got really awkward. How can we get her to stop being judgmental? -- Reality Check, Jackson, Mississippi

DEAR REALITY CHECK: Civil rights history has changed thanks to the Supreme Court's decision to acknowledge marriage equality nationwide. This is a huge triumph, and it should be celebrated. Understand, though, that social mores take a long time to change. Some people never accept the laws that have been created for our country. For others, it can take years to consider a new way of looking at the world, even when it includes their kinfolk.

You may be able to speak to your great aunt about being kinder to your cousin, but chances are strong that she is not going to change her view, her rhetoric or her ways. Your cousin may be better off talking about his life with those family members who are compassionate and supportive. Given the breadth of support nationally, he does not have to feel alone. He may want to pick and choose with whom he wants to discuss his personal life. Being strategic can be life-saving.

(Lifestylist and author Harriette Cole is president and creative director of Harriette Cole Media. You can send questions to askharriette@harriettecole.com or c/o Universal Uclick, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.)

DEAR HARRIETTE: My neighbor confided in me that her son is a shoplifter.

Apparently, he has been ripping off stores in our local mall for the past year with some regularity. She sounded almost proud of him because she says he has been so clever that he hasn't gotten caught. I am appalled. What's more, I have a friend who owns a store in the mall. I want to warn her about this young man.

At the same time, I know my neighbor told me about this in confidence. Do you think I should tell my friend? Should I tell the police? What should I do? -- Beware Sticky Fingers, Atlanta

DEAR BEWARE STICKY FINGERS: You are in an awkward situation. Because you have not witnessed the shoplifting yourself, you actually would be of little help in telling the police. You can, however, be of support to your friend who owns the store. Tell her about the young man and show her a picture of him if you can. At least you can give her the heads-up that she should be on high alert if he enters her store. Otherwise, leave it alone.

DEAR HARRIETTE: One of my daughter's friends just told my daughter that her parents are divorcing. They are already separated. It seems the girl is pretty upset, which is understandable. She tells my daughter all about what is happening, and it is becoming overwhelming for my daughter. Both girls are 10 years old. The friend recently asked my daughter to come over for a sleepover, but I don't like the idea. I would feel better if she came over our house. If the conversation goes too far into detail about the divorce, I can reel it back in. Do you think that makes sense? -- Protecting My Girl, Syracuse, New York

DEAR PROTECTING MY GIRL: Divorce is hard for many more people than the couple who are going through it. Your daughter's friendship is a perfect example of this. I'm happy to hear that you are not forbidding your daughter from being friends with this girl, yet you absolutely do need to manage your daughter's exposure to her in order to support her emotions during this tough time.

I definitely think that if you decide to allow a sleepover at all, it should be at your house so you can monitor their interactions. You may want to talk to the child's parent to check in with him or her. Since a divorce is underway and your child knows about it, you may want to let the parent know that your daughter is concerned about her friend, wants to be there for her and is feeling a little fragile herself.

Ask the parent if you can be of support. Listen to learn how he or she is managing. Have a keen ear to determine if there is any violence in the house. Obviously, you want to protect your child from that. By listening closely, you will be able to determine how and where the two girls can enjoy their friendship safely during this unstable time.

(Lifestylist and author Harriette Cole is president and creative director of Harriette Cole Media. You can send questions to askharriette@harriettecole.com or c/o Universal Uclick, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.)

DEAR HARRIETTE: I made the decision to go back to college to get my degree, and I am happy to inform you that I graduated last week. I should have had a celebration for this accomplishment, but I didn't because I am in my 50s and I should have gotten my degree 30 years ago. I gave my graduation ceremony tickets away because I was embarrassed to invite my friends and family to celebrate this special occasion. I plan to keep this accomplishment a secret and not tell my family because I do not want to make a big deal out of it. Do you think I am being selfish for not including my family in my journey? -- Class of 2015, West Orange, New Jersey

DEAR CLASS OF 2015: Congratulations on your huge accomplishment! You deserve to be celebrated by all of your loved ones at this pivotal moment. Think back on all of the time and effort it has taken for you to get to this point. This may help you to shrug off the shame you feel for not getting your degree in the traditional time period.

It is not so much selfish as it is unfounded for you to hide this incredible achievement from your family. Tell them! Your success will likely inspire someone else to go for it, even if he or she is not "young." It is never too late to improve yourself. You are living proof of that!

DEAR HARRIETTE: I received a phone call from one of my wife's co-workers, who wished me a speedy recovery. I was perplexed because the only person who knew about my condition was my wife. It made me uncomfortable because my wife is sharing our secrets with her co-workers. I do not want to keep personal information away from my wife, but I think I have to, because I am afraid that she may tell something else. What can I do to keep our personal life at home and not at the workplace? -- Family Secrets, Chicago

DEAR FAMILY SECRETS: The people at work often turn into confidants, even when it is unintentional, because they are the ones we spend the most time with. When there is strife in a family, co-workers can be great shoulders to cry on. It is likely that your wife shared about your illness because she needed somebody to talk to about it. This does not make it right, but it may give you perspective on why she would do such a thing.

To prevent this from happening in the future, talk to your wife. Try not to be too angry when you bring up her indiscretion. Instead, express your understanding that she may have felt she needed to talk about your illness, but that you need her to keep your personal business private. Tell her how uncomfortable and violated you felt when her co-worker called you. Ask her to refrain from talking about your family business with her co-workers in the future.

(Lifestylist and author Harriette Cole is president and creative director of Harriette Cole Media. You can send questions to askharriette@harriettecole.com or c/o Universal Uclick, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.)