DEAR HARRIETTE: I hit it off with a new friend, and we’ve been chatting on social media. We have exchanged numbers and have been texting every day. The conversation flowed smoothly.

Recently, I've been noticing a pullback. He started to take several hours to respond to my messages, then suddenly and completely stopped. I waited a couple of days before sending more messages. I then sent a message asking if everything was going well, and I received no response. Initially I hoped that nothing bad happened to him, but my gut tells me that something fishy is going on. Why would a person cut off communication so abruptly? -- Stopped Short

DEAR STOPPED SHORT: Chances are, this man is either married or in a committed relationship. That he was totally engaged and communicating regularly with you only to abruptly stop suggests that outside forces were involved.

While it can be disconcerting to have enjoyed so much one-on-one time with him only to have him disappear, it is probably best for you to cut your losses. You cannot force him to write to you. Whatever happened has taken him away from you. Let him go; if he does resurface, he will need to explain what happened, but I wouldn’t wait for him to return.

DEAR HARRIETTE: I witnessed horrific behavior by the leader of a work project to a summer intern. The project leader was rude and condescending in the most unprofessional ways to a young woman who had come to volunteer for the summer and who was trying her best to complete the task at hand. The project leader has been known to berate people sometimes, but this was out of control.

When we had a private moment, I reached out to the young woman to make sure she was OK; she was not. She has since left the company to go back to college, but the damage was done. What else can I do to support her? Saying something to the project leader probably won’t do a thing. She is bull-headed and mean. Since I need my job, I’m afraid to approach her. Our company is small, so we don’t have a human resources director. How can I help? -- Not a Bystander

DEAR NOT A BYSTANDER: Sometimes you have to stand in harm’s way to effect change. You say you are afraid to speak up because you could lose your job. It’s likely that the reason this woman continues to go off on people is because others have been afraid to stand up to her.

Since the young woman is already gone, you can wait until the next time this woman bullies someone and speak up to defend the other person. You can use a lighthearted tone, asking the boss to lay off the person, or you can be more sober about it and speak to her privately and ask if she would consider being less caustic when dealing with employees. Tell her how uncomfortable the interaction made you feel, and point out that it’s hard for people to be productive when they feel they can do nothing right.

(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: When I return to college, there are a couple of people I will be seeing for the first time since the semester ended who I promised to make plans with and didn’t end up seeing. While some of this was my fault, sometimes the other person flaked on me, which upset me.

I feel awkward facing them, but we will probably just act as close as we were before summer break. Should I mention anything to them? Is it worth losing a friend or two as a result of me calling out my “college friends”? -- College Friend

DEAR COLLEGE FRIEND: If you want to own up to your lack of follow-through over the summer, by all means say something to your friends. You can greet them and let them know how happy you are to see them and apologize for not getting together over the summer as you had planned. Don’t make a big deal of it, though. Don’t call out anybody for not following through. It is common for people to pledge to get together over the break but not end up doing it.

Rather than holding a grudge against anyone or feeling bad about yourself, just acknowledge that the get-togethers did not happen. Vow to do better next time. Be more mindful of making commitments to others. Do your best not to say that you are going to do something unless you feel confident that you will be able to make it happen.

DEAR HARRIETTE: I lose my contacts easily due to my habit of rubbing my eyes. I want to get this habit out of my system, and I also want to be better at not panicking when I have only one contact in my eye. My eyesight is so bad that I can see only what is right in front of me, and I get headaches when I lose one of my contacts. What can I do to eliminate this habit and also make sure I can do my job properly if I lose a contact? -- Bad Eyes

DEAR BAD EYES: Check with your ophthalmologist to see if moistening eye drops will help you. You may be rubbing your eyes because they are dry. Instead of constantly rubbing, you may want to use drops. You need to train yourself to keep your hands away from your eyes.

Further, you should have a pair of backup contacts and a pair of backup glasses that you keep with you. If you lose a contact lens, you should have either handy so that you don’t have to go all day with compromised sight. Even if the prescription in your glasses is thick, put them on if you have no other options. You are likely far more self-conscious about your glasses than others will be. What’s essential is that you see well and avoid unnecessary headaches.

(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 had a vivid dream the other night that my old boss appeared at an event and asked me how my marriage was going. I said, “Fine.” My husband and I have been married for more than 20 years. We have our ups and downs, but mostly I would say we are fine. In my dream, my boss looked at me intently and said, “No! Things are not fine.” I woke up with a start and wondered what this meant.

A few days later, my husband’s old college friend appeared, and they have been hanging out a lot. I joined them once, but mainly it has been the two of them. Normally that wouldn’t make a difference to me, but now I’m not so sure. Should I ask him if he is cheating? Should I tell my husband about my dream? What should I do? -- Marriage Blues

DEAR MARRIAGE BLUES: Sit down with your husband and tell him about your dream. Describe it in detail, and tell him how jarring it was for you. Point out that because it woke you up with a start, you have begun to think about your life and wonder if your opinions about it reflect your husband’s. Ask him if he is content in your marriage. Tell him you think this dream was a reminder for both of you to check in with each other about how you feel and what you want for your futures. Encourage him to open up. Ask him if he feels there is any validity to your dream.

If your gut says that there may be something brewing between him and the old college friend, ask him. It’s better to get everything out on the table, but I wouldn’t lead with that. The friend may represent nothing, or they could be the sign of something deeper that needs to be addressed.

DEAR HARRIETTE: I consider myself a smart person, but I haven’t always made the best choices. I have had great moments in my work and personal lives, but for the past few years, things have been rough. I have no savings, and I work freelance. I worry that any little thing could topple me, and I wouldn’t be able to survive the hiccup. Sometimes I wonder if I would be more valuable dead than alive. I don’t mean to sound melodramatic. I’m serious. The one smart thing I did after my children were born was to buy a hearty life insurance policy. No matter what, I pay that each month. I don’t have two pennies to rub together, as my grandmother would say, but I’m worth a million dollars dead. Part of me wants to call it a day. Do you understand where I’m coming from? -- Hopeless

DEAR HOPELESS: Every day that you wake up, you have the opportunity to make a better experience for yourself and your family. As despondent as you are feeling right now, you need to believe that you deserve happiness and abundance, and it is possible for you to experience these things. Now is a great time for you to get support, too. If you have medical insurance, consider going to see a mental health professional who can help talk you through some of your issues. You can also call the National Suicide Prevention Hotline at 800-273-8255 to talk to someone about how you feel.

(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.)