DEAR HARRIETTE: My husband recently got a job offer for a better-paying, higher position that fits his interests. The one big downside to this new job is that it is in Dubai. If it were just my husband and me, I wouldn't question the decision for one second, but since we have our children to consider, I need some help. Our kids are in elementary school. We have lived in the same house for their whole lives, so it feels wrong pulling them out of school and uprooting them. At the same time, it might be an amazing opportunity for us as a family! What do you think is the best situation for my family? Stay where we are? Or leave? -- Move to Dubai?, Denver

DEAR MOVE TO DUBAI?: While this is a big move, know that many Americans have made it. I know families who have moved to Dubai and to Abu Dhabi, and it has worked for them. Dubai offers more flexibility than some think. Yes, there are recommendations about dressing more modestly than Americans, especially for women, but it is a cosmopolitan city that welcomes foreign nationals.

The good news for your children is that they are young and adaptable. They might be sad at first due to the unknown and the thought of losing their friends. If you move over the summer, it will be easier than in the middle of the school year.

My suggestion: Go for it! It doesn’t have to be forever.

DEAR HARRIETTE: My parents have been separated for eight months now, and they have both been seeing other people. I enjoy hanging out with my mom and her boyfriend, but I hate being around my dad and his new girlfriend. I feel like she has changed him. Since he started dating her, he has been acting differently. He asks my siblings and me to hang out with him and go over to his house every now and then, but we don’t like being around him that much. I tried explaining this to my mom, but she doesn’t care to listen because she and my dad don’t speak anymore.

I feel bad that my dad genuinely wants to spend time together but I don’t want to because of who he has become. Is it rude of me to tell him the ways in which he has changed when I know that he’s happy? -- Daughter of a Different Dad, Atlanta

DEAR DAUGHTER OF A DIFFERENT DAD: The person you need to talk to is your dad. Your duty is to be open and honest with him and attempt to forge a solid relationship with him. Tell him the truth, with specifics, about what he has done that bothers you. Ask him to be mindful of what he says and does as it hurts you. Commit to making the effort to spend more time with him to see if you can work it out. Ask to spend alone time with him when his girlfriend isn’t around.

(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: My younger brother and I are 18 months apart. We have always been close. Lately, he has been acting a little out of character. I think he is having a midlife crisis. He recently bought a new car that was way out of his budget, and he is now thinking about quitting his job. He has been working at the same company for 15 years. I'm not sure why he would quit or what could be sparking these changes. Do you have any idea of how I can help him? Do I intervene to prevent him from messing up his life? -- Midlife Crisis, Sarasota, Florida

DEAR MIDLIFE CRISIS: Invite your brother to get together. Then express your concerns. Ask him what’s going on. Do your best to get him to open up. You want to learn what’s in his head, so you have to resist talking too much. Hear him out. Challenge him on ideas that you do not think are sound. This includes quitting a job without a plan in place. Find out what happened that precipitated the idea. Suggest that he savor the moment, take a vacation and be present for what’s next. Recommend that he give himself a 90-day waiting period to be sure that he feels the same and has gotten his life in order before resigning.

DEAR HARRIETTE: For some reason, I just can’t get out of a funk I’ve been in for the past couple of weeks. Some days I’ll feel fine, and then other days I’ll be down. I know I'm not depressed and I don’t need to be medicated, but when I feel down, I don’t want to do anything or see anyone.

My mom suggested that I go see someone just to talk about everything that has been going on in my life, but I feel stupid going. There hasn’t been anything upsetting or tragic in my life, so I don’t understand what I would even talk about or say when nothing has happened. Maybe it’s because I just graduated from college and don’t have a job yet, or that my boyfriend will be moving away. But why is my sadness coming in waves? What do you suggest I do? -- Always in a Funk, Jackson, Mississippi

DEAR ALWAYS IN A FUNK: What we have learned in the wake of too many suicide attempts is that many people are suffering from depression and are often disguising their pain or not even recognizing how significant it is. I am not suggesting that you are suicidal, but I do want you to take this state of mind that you are in seriously. It is smart that you are speaking up. Seek professional help right now. You can talk about anything and everything that is on your mind with a mental health professional. It should help you to process what’s happening in your life and deal with the wave of emotions that you are feeling. You are experiencing a lot of change now. It is natural for you to be emotional about these things. Get help in learning how to deal with it all.

(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: Why am I always so jealous? My boyfriend moved to Houston last November. I live in Boston, so we have been doing long-distance for some time. We visit each other every two to three weeks, so it’s not as bad as it could be.

Just last week, my boyfriend's company hired two new women to work alongside him. I don’t know why this bothers me and makes me jealous, but it does. Since last week, my boyfriend has gotten dinner and drinks with them to introduce and welcome them to the company. I know they are colleagues, so this shouldn’t upset me, but it does. One of them even asked if he would come to her birthday party with her friends. My boyfriend has done nothing to make me not trust him, so why does his hanging out with these women make me jealous? Am I crazy and possessive? -- Jealous Girlfriend, Boston

DEAR JEALOUS GIRLFRIEND: What you have described sounds like a normal working relationship with colleagues. If this is all that's going on with him and his co-workers, then it is you who have the problem. It is understandable that you feel insecure about being so far away from your boyfriend -- yes, it is possible that he could become attracted to someone else, but it is not a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Do a self-assessment. You need to figure out if you can handle your boyfriend living his life and interacting with co-workers and others without you assuming the worst about what might happen. If you are unable to accept his life as it is and you still want to be with him, you need to talk to your boyfriend about other options. Specifically, if both of you want to be together and commit to a joined life, you may need to move to the town where he lives and actively build a life together. You need his buy-in for this. If he does not agree, your choice will be to learn to trust him and accept the way he lives his life or step away.

DEAR HARRIETTE: Every year, I am invited to go to a summer party. It is hosted at a friend’s house on Long Island. This year, one of my girlfriends asked if she could come to the party as well. Although she is one of my best friends, I'm hesitant about inviting her because she always drinks too much at these events and makes a fool of herself, which, in turn, makes a fool of me. I don't think she fully understands that if I invite her, both of our reputations are on the line. I'm not sure what to do here. Do I tell my friend she can't come and risk creating drama between her and me, or should I invite her and risk her actions embarrassing me? -- Embarrassed Friend, Brooklyn, New York

DEAR EMBARRASSED FRIEND: It is time to draw that proverbial line in the sand. Contact your friend and schedule a get-together. Tell her that you will not be inviting her to the party this year because you cannot trust her behavior. Describe to her how she has acted in the past and how heartbreaking and embarrassing it has been for her and for you. Suggest that she get help. She can go to Alcoholics Anonymous meetings, which is a free option. She can also consider a rehab treatment program, which can work if she has insurance. The point is to encourage her to get help now.

(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.)