DEAR HARRIETTE: I feel like all of the things that I thought were important don’t matter at all in the wake of this COVID-19 crisis. I was complaining just the other day about my husband and how annoying he can be. Now I am so grateful that he is in my life and helping me and my kids to manage this time. I feel like I have been rude and that I have taken advantage of my husband for a long time. My eyes are open now. I want to apologize to him for being a jerk, but I wonder if saying something now is poor timing. What do you think? -- Saying I’m Sorry

DEAR SAYING I’M SORRY: It may be a cliche, but do know that it is never too late to say you’re sorry. This is especially true when you are actively participating in a relationship -- your marriage. By all means, talk to your husband. Tell him that you appreciate all that he is doing to protect your family. Go on from there and admit that you realize that it has taken this crisis for you to really see how much he consistently does for you. Apologize for not being aware of all of his contributions in the past. Thank him for being such a great support.

Pivot from there to talk with him about what you two need to do for your family at this time of unknown challenge. Plan for how to care for your children, how to keep them occupied, how to pay your bills and more. Use this stressful time to bring you and your husband closer together.

DEAR HARRIETTE: My mother is an amazing woman. She has managed to raise three children who have become well-adjusted adults, and she did it all without the help of the men in her life. She has married twice, both times to men who did not treat her or her children right.

After the passing of my father, my mother vowed never to fall in love with another man. However, I have noticed how lonely she looks these days. She never goes out, and she spends most of her time watching Korean soap operas. My mom is still young, and I swear she doesn’t look a day over 30. I think she still has her charms. But I am worried about her getting hurt by another man. She has told me she wants to meet someone, but she is unsure. I want her to be happy, but I also don’t want her to repeat her past marriages. What can she do? -- Mom Needs a Date

DEAR MOM NEEDS A DATE: Creating space for love requires allowing yourself to be vulnerable to another person, and that’s OK. Your mother is an adult. She knows the risk. You must understand that, too. That said, sitting at home watching soap operas will not open up the pool of potential dates.

Suggest that your mother consider researching online dating sites. Many couples have found companionship and more by using these sites. To have the best chance of finding a good match, your mother should think seriously about her personality traits and interests. Then she can list them in a profile so that she attracts people who match her.

(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 have lost my passion for reading. When I was younger, I used to love reading. I had a different book in my hands every day. Lately, I have not been reading anything. There are hundreds of new books at bookstores, and I just walk past them.

I love reading, but I never seem to finish a book anymore. Additionally, whenever I do read, I never seem to comprehend the words; they just go in my eyes and never seem to reach my brain. I miss reading books; I was labeled the bookworm among my peers when I was younger. I feel like I lost a part of myself, and I don’t know how to find it again. Can I still go back? -- Ex-Bookworm

DEAR EX-BOOKWORM: It is natural that you are experiencing a shift in your priorities. As your life changes and fills with other activities, your interest in books has taken a backseat to other things. Since you do not like this change, take a step back and observe what you are spending your time on and whether you really want to divide your time in that way. Ask yourself why you have lost interest in books. Is there an underlying reason that you can identify?

Consider another popular option -- listening to audiobooks. Hearing someone read a book in your area of interest may reignite your love of reading. You can get lost in a book for hours by listening to someone read it to you.

DEAR HARRIETTE: Back in my freshman year of college, I was a part of my university’s cheerleading squad. I had to stay at school until late at night and get home close to midnight (since I was a commuter). Practice was not difficult, and I did pretty well with the intense three-hour workouts. However, I had two major problems: my grades and transportation.

Due to the late hours, my grades began to plummet drastically. I became incredibly depressed and had intense anxiety attacks. Before and after practice, I felt sick to my stomach and would faint sometimes from stress. The breaking point was a game that ended in disaster. It was horrible. I decided to quit and cut all ties with the team. Whenever I saw the girls in the halls or my classes, I could feel the awkward tension between us. Leaving the team was the best decision I ever made, but I feel scared to confront the girls about my reason for quitting. What should I do? -- Former Cheerleader

DEAR FORMER CHEERLEADER: It is worth it to create closure with the other cheerleaders even though you are not with them at school right now, given the fact that schools are shut down. Since you will continue to have this situation on your heart, I recommend that you reach out to your teammates and tell them that you miss them. Acknowledge that you are sorry you had to leave the team, but that you left because you were flunking school and getting home way too late. Apologize for not talking to them about it before. Explain that this was a tough decision for you, and you hope they understand.

(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: Now that we are living in this new reality of social distancing, I am already having a serious challenge with my teenage son. He is accustomed to being able to hang out with his friends as long as he comes home by his curfew. School is out for the foreseeable future, and he does not understand why in the world he has to stay at home and cannot hang with his friends. His argument is that the government says people shouldn’t get together in large crowds. If he is going to be with a couple of kids, he argues, what’s the big deal?

Honestly, I don’t even know what the rule will be by the time this letter gets to you. We could actually be quarantined by law. Whatever the case, I feel like I cannot allow my son to go out with his friends until we have some real sense that the danger is over. No official has a sense of how long that will be, although recent reports said it could be as far away as the fall. How do I control my teenage son for all this time? -- Teen Frenzy

DEAR TEEN FRENZY: New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio was on the news recently (as of this writing) saying that it may be impossible for parents to control their teens for the foreseeable future. He spoke of the nature of teens wanting to be together and the reality of trying to curb this virus being a convergence of opposing forces.

That said, medical professionals and civic leaders are urging all of us, including teens, to keep our distance from each other for weeks, if not months.

Government officials are saying that they will take action against anyone, including young people, who gather in groups larger than 10. As far as hanging out with a couple of friends, unless your son is able to get to his friends without being in others’ company and you are sure that the friend has been in limited company, exposure is still questionable.

How do you control this? Remind your son that this self-isolation is not forever. If he does his part, more people will remain healthy, even though it’s hard to do.

DEAR HARRIETTE: I gave money to a crowdfunding campaign for a woman I know peripherally through work. I often think about her and wonder whether she is OK. I wish she had posted an update on her health. Since she didn’t, do you think it would be all right to check in with her to see how she’s doing? I don’t want to be nosy, but she did a full-on campaign for money for what sounded like a life-threatening disease. I'm not asking for details. I would just like to have a sense of whether or not she is OK, or if she needs anything. Can I check in with her? -- Post-Crowdfunding

DEAR POST-CROWDFUNDING: It seems reasonable that you should be able to reach out to this woman to ask how she’s doing. You can send her an email, text or note through the fundraising platform saying that you know she wasn’t feeling well. Ask her how she is managing. Tell her you are thinking of her and hope that she is on the mend.

(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.)