DEAR HARRIETTE: I spent Sunday afternoon talking to a friend who started her life on welfare and who is wealthy now. I was so inspired by her, but I was also sad. I have not saved money well and am essentially broke. I’m in my mid-50s, and I really don’t think that I can get out of this hole. Meeting this friend and hearing about her life made me think there may be a chance that I can turn a corner and not remain impoverished until my dying day. I am so ashamed that I don’t know what to do. Is it too late to talk to a financial adviser about turning my finances around? -- Too Late, Queens, New York

DEAR TOO LATE: It is never too late to make the choice to improve your life, including your finances. You are asking the right questions, too. Since you are not an expert on money, it is essential that you get help. You may want to start with your bank to see what you can do with the money you have. The government also offers free financial advice. In New York, visit www1.nyc.gov/site/dca/consumers/get-free-financial-counseling.page for information. Each state has this service. Don’t give up on yourself. Instead, get educated and empowered. You can improve your circumstances, step by step.

DEAR HARRIETTE: My little brother has it in his head that he wants to be a football star. He has been playing football since he was in first grade. Now he’s in middle school and he’s doing pretty well, but last weekend he got hurt on the field. The coach says he will be fine, but my parents are freaked out because they’ve heard all this stuff about concussions leading to major brain injuries later in life. They are talking about pulling him from football entirely. My brother has asked me to step in and lobby for him. I don’t know what to do. I want my brother to be able to pursue his dream, but I don’t want him to end up brain-dead or something. I never played football when I was a boy, so I’m not attached to it like he is. What should I do? -- Kick It, Silver Spring, Maryland

DEAR KICK IT: I wish I could be more optimistic. Obviously, football is an American pastime that has been played by thousands of children and adults for generations. Recent research, however, suggests that brain injury is common in football players due to the constant contact that includes head trauma.

I am not here to suggest that your brother stop playing. My recommendation is that your family do as much research as you can so that you can make an informed decision about your brother’s future. Your parents may want to get a medical opinion from a doctor who can speak about the long-term effects of playing football on a growing brain. Here’s an article to get you started: theatlantic.com/health/archive/2016/10/football-kids-heads/504863/.

Ultimately, this is a personal decision that will be hard to make, no matter what you decide. As his big brother, you can be compassionate and be a great listener as you also express your honest concerns. Leave it to your parents to decide, though.

(Harriette Cole is a lifestylist and founder of DREAMLEAPERS, an initiative to help people access and activate their dreams. You can send questions to askharriette@harriettecole.com or c/o Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.)

DEAR HARRIETTE: I went home for a family reunion last month, and it was so much fun. The one thing that was hard was seeing my grandfather. He is so frail. I hardly ever talk to him, and now I realize that he probably won’t be alive much longer. I want to be closer to him during the time he has left. Practically speaking, we live far from each other and he’s hard of hearing, so it doesn’t work well to talk on the phone for more than a couple of minutes. What can I do to let him know how much I love him and to stay in touch? -- Coming Together, Chicago

DEAR COMING TOGETHER: If you took pictures during the reunion, send a few to your grandfather with a handwritten note telling him how much you enjoyed being together and how much you love him. Call him once a week to check in. Make the call brief. Speak up. Make sure he knows it is you. Tell him one good thing about you and your life that he can hold onto and brag about. Older people love to tell stories about their families.

Additionally, make the commitment to visit your grandfather more frequently. If possible, go home once a quarter during this tender time. If you can do it, you and your grandfather will benefit immeasurably.

DEAR HARRIETTE: I am dating a man who hates watching the news. Meanwhile, I am a news junkie. He has started to stay over at my house sometimes, and in the morning, this is becoming an issue. I like to watch the morning cable programs, and he likes to listen to music. I am willing to have him turn on music in the living room, but I like to watch the news while I prepare breakfast. This is my routine. Should I change to his routine? How do I manage this? I really want to spend time with him, but I have my rhythm. -- Bumping Heads, Shreveport, Louisiana

DEAR BUMPING HEADS: In the interest of the relationship, I recommend that you agree to turn off the TV and the music during the time that you are in the kitchen together. Offer silence -- outside of your own conversation -- as a compromise, and see what your boyfriend says.

Add that each of you can have your personal routines for a particular amount of time in the morning. Maybe he can listen to his music while he’s showering and getting ready for work. Perhaps you can watch your morning shows while he’s in the bathroom or, if you have a TV in that room, you can watch as you get ready.

You can also agree that you will watch one full cycle of cable news but turn it off after you have heard the pundits and gotten caught up on the news of the day. It won’t be easy to break with your ways of doing things. You two will have to decide if the relationship is worth the shift.

(Harriette Cole is a lifestylist and founder of DREAMLEAPERS, an initiative to help people access and activate their dreams. You can send questions to askharriette@harriettecole.com or c/o Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.)

DEAR HARRIETTE: I went out to dinner with a group of friends last weekend. We had a lot of fun, but one of my friends got pretty wasted. We had to collect her from the restroom, where she had been vomiting. It was embarrassing, as we were at a fancy restaurant.

Beyond the embarrassment, though, is the fact that she didn’t know when to stop drinking. It’s one thing to hang out and have fun and another entirely to pass out and have to be dragged into the car because she couldn’t handle herself. I doubt that my friend will even remember what happened, she was so far gone. Do I tell her about it? I think I would want to know. Everybody in my group drinks socially, so I’m no saint here. I think she has a problem. What should I do? -- SOS, Denver

Dear SOS: Trust your gut. Get in touch with your friend. If at all possible, meet with her face to face. Be honest and compassionate. Tell her that you want to talk to her about the dinner you and your friends recently attended. Ask her if she remembers anything about the evening. Do not interrogate her, though. Ask for her blessing for you to share your concerns with her. Then, describe to her how she behaved and why you are concerned. Tell her you think she went way overboard and that you want to make sure she knows that it wasn’t good for her or for your group.

Ask your friend if she thinks she needs help managing alcohol. If so, suggest that she take action. The easiest thing to do for starters is to go to Alcoholics Anonymous (aa.org). If she balks at that, suggest that she drink less so that she can stay in control.

DEAR HARRIETTE: I often travel with a colleague for work. We work in the field, and typically there is a lot of driving involved. The way the project is set up, my colleague is always the driver. He rents the car, figures out the navigation and drives, often for hours on end to get to our jobs. I don’t love driving, so in a way, this is nice. But it also seems sexist that the company has him driving. Beyond that, this guy is not the safest driver. He often jerks from lane to lane as he is looking at his GPS. Sometimes it’s scary. When I offer to co-pilot and say the navigation out loud ahead of time, he shrugs it off. I’m tired of holding my breath while driving. Should I tell him I want to drive? Should I demand to help with navigation? -- On Eggshells, Detroit

DEAR ON EGGSHELLS: Stand up for yourself. You have the legal right to drive a rental car that is rented by a co-worker. Tell your colleague that you do not think he is driving safely when he is reading the GPS and driving erratically. Offer to drive some of the time. Require that you serve as co-pilot when he is driving. Make it clear that you feel unsafe with the way that he drives, so changes must be made -- now. Try to work this out between you. Go to management only if you cannot resolve it together.

(Harriette Cole is a lifestylist and founder of DREAMLEAPERS, an initiative to help people access and activate their dreams. You can send questions to askharriette@harriettecole.com or c/o Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.)