life

Reader Ready to Recommit to Religion

Sense & Sensitivity by by Harriette Cole
by Harriette Cole
Sense & Sensitivity | April 13th, 2018 | Letter 1 of 2

DEAR HARRIETTE: I grew up as a Roman Catholic. I went to a private Catholic elementary school and to church with my family almost every Sunday. As we got older, we became less religious. There was no specific reason for this; it just happened.

Now that I am older and living on my own, I am debating if I should start going to church again. I am at a point in my life where I could use a higher power watching over me, and I think going to a church service now and again may help me. What are your thoughts on re-entering a religion, or in my case, starting to practice the religion again? -- Choosing Faith

DEAR CHOOSING FAITH: After a person enters adulthood, there comes a time when you have to choose for yourself what your religious practice will be -- if anything. What you were taught as a child supported you for a particular period, but now it’s on you. It sounds like you see the benefit of reconnecting to a Catholic community. What you may want to consider is visiting a few different churches to see which feels the most comfortable. When you think of establishing a new church home, you should pay attention to who attends and if you can see yourself planting roots there.

life

Sense & Sensitivity for April 13, 2018

Sense & Sensitivity by by Harriette Cole
by Harriette Cole
Sense & Sensitivity | April 13th, 2018 | Letter 2 of 2

DEAR HARRIETTE: I am a grandmother to five grandkids. I live close to them, so I get to see them quite often, which I love. As I get older, I am thinking about what I will leave them with when I pass away. I don’t want to seem morbid or that I'm talking about the tragedy of death, but I do want to see what your take is on leaving this world with a great legacy. I want my grandkids to appreciate everything they have in life, work hard, and not take anything for granted. I hope my sons -- their parents -- have taught them well, but I want to make sure I leave them with some words of wisdom. Did you have a good relationship with your grandparents? What is the one thing you are grateful for that your grandparents gave you? -- Grandma's Legacy, Detroit

DEAR GRANDMA’S LEGACY: It’s wonderful that you are thinking ahead about what you want your grandchildren to remember about you to enhance their lives.

I was very close to my maternal grandmother. More than the things that she gave me, I appreciated her wisdom. When she was in her 80s, she would sit cross-legged on the floor and play jacks with me. She had so much energy and love for me; I appreciated that then and now.

My grandmother was a domestic worker, and I remember one time scolding her and telling her to stop working. My family could take care of her, and she was already old. I said some mean things about her employer. She looked me in the eye and said, “Don’t worry about me. I love my work, and I love the people I work for. When it comes time for you to work, you must love what you do and the people you work with.” I never forgot that.

I recommend that you write notes to your grandchildren sharing your wisdom and specific guidance for each one of them. They will treasure those notes. Beyond that, show them how to live by your actions and the way you engage them.

(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.)

life

Co-Worker Getting Too Close for Comfort

Sense & Sensitivity by by Harriette Cole
by Harriette Cole
Sense & Sensitivity | April 12th, 2018 | Letter 1 of 2

DEAR HARRIETTE: My co-worker makes me feel uncomfortable. I work in a casual environment, and it’s a small business, so everyone knows one another well. A co-worker I interact with weekly has been getting too close for comfort. Recently, we had a lunch meeting, and as we were walking he touched the small of my back while walking through a crowd. It was awkward and unexpected. Since that lunch meeting, he gets close during conversations and touches my arm. If we're sitting down, he will touch my leg. He hasn't done anything else, but I don't want his actions to get worse. Should I confront him before I talk to HR? -- Uncomfortable, Dundalk, Maryland

DEAR UNCOMFORTABLE: Before he does anything else, ask him if you can talk to him about something. Tell him that you do not appreciate the fact that he has been touching you so much. Ask him to stop. Tell him that if he touches you again, you will report him to HR.

If you have a boss separate from HR, you may want to say something to him or her to make it known that you are being harassed by this man. Tread carefully, though. Even in 2018, employees often find it difficult to file claims of sexual harassment and continue to rise in their companies.

Pay close attention to what this man does. If he gets out of hand, you may want to engage outside counsel to help you navigate this situation. If you want to seek legal counsel, learn more at timesupnow.com.

life

Sense & Sensitivity for April 12, 2018

Sense & Sensitivity by by Harriette Cole
by Harriette Cole
Sense & Sensitivity | April 12th, 2018 | Letter 2 of 2

DEAR HARRIETTE: At my job, I interact with a lot of customers and often must make small talk. However, one customer comes in and stays a little longer than my liking. He is very kind and polite, but he has been distracting me from my duties. Because he is a customer, I can’t ignore him, but I have to take care of other customers as well.

He has hinted at us going out on a date, but I don’t respond, hoping he won’t ask again. Every week he asks me out, and I ignore him. The last couple of times he has asked, I said, “No, thank you” or “I’m not interested.” He still asks, and it’s getting frustrating that he isn’t listening. How do I make it clear to him that I’m not interested so he’ll stop asking me out? -- He Doesn't Understand "No," Jackson, Mississippi

DEAR HE DOESN’T UNDERSTAND “NO”: First, report what is happening to your boss so that you have support when you tell this man that he is making you feel uncomfortable by constantly asking you out. Even though he is a customer, he doesn’t have the right to badger you. Ask your boss to intervene if he refuses to back off. Ultimately, you will probably need your boss’ support in order to get this man to stand down.

(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.)

life

Reader Questions Whether to Confront Former Boss

Sense & Sensitivity by by Harriette Cole
by Harriette Cole
Sense & Sensitivity | April 11th, 2018 | Letter 1 of 2

DEAR HARRIETTE: As so many Me Too stories are coming to light, I have remembered what happened to me at my job years ago. When a superior tried to force me to be intimate with him, I told my boss -- each time. I didn’t get much help, though. In the end, I avoided him until I stopped working there.

Now that people are talking about their experiences, I want to add my voice to the conversation. This man is retired now, but I know how to reach him. Do you think I should write him a letter or contact him in any way to tell him how much he violated me back in the day? I am not interested in money or anything. -- Me Too, Baltimore

DEAR ME TOO: It is true that this movement to hold (primarily) men accountable for sexual misconduct has reached a loud roar in our culture. As a result, many people are remembering and speaking up. It is good for you to get it out so that you can purge yourself from this bad experience.

Approaching the man who violated you is tricky. You must figure out what you want out of it. If speaking about what happened to you is enough, send the letter. It is unlikely that he will respond. If you can find his phone number, you may get more satisfaction from saying it to him and hearing any reaction he may have. Sadly, many men who engage in this behavior never admit their sins.

life

Sense & Sensitivity for April 11, 2018

Sense & Sensitivity by by Harriette Cole
by Harriette Cole
Sense & Sensitivity | April 11th, 2018 | Letter 2 of 2

DEAR HARRIETTE: I’ve been dating a woman for about a year and a half. I like her enough to marry her, and I have told her as much. We are both in our 40s. That’s why I don’t like playing games. She, however, has been doing some things that bother me. For example, she never identifies herself as being in a relationship on social media, even though she posts regularly, often with sexy pictures of herself. I’m not trying to control her or anything, but it seems weird to me that she says we are close and that she wants to be committed to me, but the commitment is never public in the social media stratosphere. I feel funny about that. I don’t want a wife in private who acts like she's single in public. What can I do? -- Claiming My Lady, Shreveport, Louisiana

DEAR CLAIMING MY LADY: When you consider marrying someone, you need to figure out if this person is compatible with you and if she shares your values. A shared life has many twists and turns, but if you don’t start out on the same page, it will be very difficult to find comfort together down the line.

The new frontier of social media is alluring to some people and distressing to others. Some use it as a place to play out their alter ego’s fantasies. If that is what your girlfriend is doing, you have a problem, especially if she is not including you in that fantasy. Talk with her about your concerns. Ask her to explain why she is making these choices and what she wants for the future. Tell her that if you two plan to marry, you think it’s important that you agree on many things, including social media use.

(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.)

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