DEAR HARRIETTE: A friend of mine has been telling me for a while that she is losing her memory. I spent the weekend with her, and now I know what she means. She asked me the same questions over and over again. I would answer them, and a couple of hours later she would ask the same thing. It was frustrating for me, in part because it is new to me. As we were talking together that weekend, I would try to build on a point, but it never worked because I always had to go back to the beginning.

I had never had an up-close and personal experience before with someone who is losing their memory. I don’t really know what to do about it. How can I support her? She is married, and her wife seems to be pretty chill about everything, but I am sure that it is a problem. How can a friend support her? -- Memory Loss

DEAR MEMORY LOSS: As someone who loves your friend so much, it is good for you to think about how to support her now. As you have pointed out, she already knows she is suffering memory loss. You haven’t said what she is doing about it. It would be good to find that out.

According to Rush University System for Health, here are recommendations on how to approach her if you discover that she hasn't sought professional support:

1. Plan what you want to say.

2. Choose a time when you won't be rushed, and a setting that is quiet and unthreatening.

3. Be compassionate and helpful, not judgmental.

4. Problem-solve together; don't dictate.

5. Try to come up with tangible, agreed-upon next steps.

6. Ask for help from a doctor, social worker or family member if necessary.

Because your friend has confided in you that she knows she has a problem, speaking up and encouraging her to get help may be exactly what she needs from you -- that extra push to take the next step. To learn more, go to: rush.edu/news/talking-about-memory-loss.

DEAR HARRIETTE: My husband passed away last year during the depths of COVID-19. It was sad -- and made worse because I couldn’t grieve with my loved ones. I have been doing OK, working to clear out his stuff from the house and trying to get my life together.

The other day, I ran into a guy I had dated years ago. He was at a picnic that I attended with some old friends. We started talking, and it was nice. I gave him my number, and we went out twice. I think I like him, but it’s weird. My husband has only been gone for a year, and because of COVID, a lot of people are just now learning about his death. How can I date someone else when his death is so fresh for me and for people who knew us as a couple? It feels so complicated, but I do like this man. -- Moving On

DEAR MOVING ON: Be honest with this man. Tell him that you are enjoying his company and would like to continue to see him. Point out that it feels complicated because of your husband’s recent death and the fact that you are still managing other people’s discovery of that sad news.

Do not turn him away. Instead, ask him if he is willing to see what happens as time goes on. He may have the disposition to be able to handle the questions from others, as well as the emotions you will experience when encountering them and as you deal with your own grief. Let time tell you what’s next.

(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 been spending time with some new friends who are kind and generous. Whenever we go out, they pay for meals, which is nice because we are not rich and they are. They never make us feel any kind of way about it, either. What we do to show our appreciation is different. We will cook delicious meals and specialty dishes to share with them. We sometimes bring over unusual desserts that we cook or that we discovered in our travels. It feels like a comfortable relationship even though we aren’t on the same income level.

I just wonder if they will tire of us because we can’t spend the kind of money on things that they do. So far, it has been OK, but it does feel a bit awkward to be unable to afford some of the things that we do. Should I say something? -- Awkward

DEAR AWKWARD: Stop fretting. It sounds like you and your friends have established a natural, comfortable rhythm. Enjoy it in the moment. Who knows what tomorrow will bring? It’s nice when people who are different from each other, especially economically, can create a genuine friendship. Being able to spend time together where it is comfortable for everyone is lovely. Stop worrying about what may happen sometime in the future.

Honestly, relationships grow based on the ways people tend to each other. As long as you all are kind, respectful and honest about who you are and what you bring to the table, you should be fine. If the day comes when they ask you to do something you cannot afford, tell the truth and trust that they will understand.

DEAR HARRIETTE: I tried sending a somewhat provocative photo to a guy I like, but I was in a place with bad reception, and my phone says the picture never went through. That made me sad after I had drummed up the courage to share this picture of me and then he didn’t get it. Anyway, I tried again to send it, but it didn’t go through. I heard from him later, and he thanked me for sending the photo but told me that he had received it about three times. I was mortified. I know it’s a technological thing, but I don’t want this guy to think I am a stalker. I was just trying to stir up a bit of interest. I’m not sure if I turned him off or not. What can I do now? -- Bad Click

DEAR BAD CLICK: If at all possible, wait to talk about this in person rather than sending more texts. Either way, tell him you are glad he liked the shot and that you are sorry that technology wasn’t your friend. Tell him that you were in a location with bad Wi-Fi. In an effort to ensure that he received the photo, you attempted to send it more than once, until your phone indicated that it had been delivered. Apologize for blowing up his phone. That was not your intention! Leave it at that.

(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 spent time with some good friends I hadn’t hung out with in years. Over the course of the weekend, we had some pretty serious conversations that were healing, in a way. We were able to talk about some things that had been on our chest, so to speak, but never resolved. Even now, I’m not sure we resolved anything, but we did clear the air, and it feels like our friendship got tighter.

As they were leaving, though, I did begin to worry a bit about whether they would keep our conversations confidential. We were really vulnerable and open when we talked. Do you think I need to say anything to reinforce our privacy? -- Hush

DEAR HUSH: What you can do without offending anyone is to reach out to your friends and express your gratitude for the quality time that you just spent together. Acknowledge how important it felt to you to be able to speak so openly about topics that had been buried for so long. Share that you appreciate the safe space that you all created together that allowed for you to go deep with each other. To be able to be so vulnerable only comes with a level of trust. Thank them for trusting you as you trusted them to be able to share that special time together. Add that you appreciate knowing that what you discussed will remain safe in their care and that none of you will share the intimacies of each other’s lives with others.

DEAR HARRIETTE: I was doing some research on my family tree the other day and saw an article that says that my father was married previously. Nobody ever told me that. I saw photos of him and a woman I do not know in wedding clothing at a church. It definitely was a wedding photo. My father is now in his 80s, but he is of sound mind. My mother passed away last year. I know they were really close. Do I bring this up to my dad? I don’t want to upset him, but I realize there is a big part of our family story that I do not know. -- First Marriage

DEAR FIRST MARRIAGE: You can broach this topic carefully. Frame it with the facts: You were doing some research on your family and stumbled upon some surprising information that you want to run by him. Get his blessing to open this door before you do. Make sure your father is in a positive state of mind and not distracted by anything else when you bring this up to him.

Then, if possible, show him the wedding picture. Tell him you were surprised to see it because you did not know he was married previously. Ask him to tell you about his first wife and that part of his life. Do not push, though. He may decide to reveal something about this time in his life, or he may choose to keep that door closed. Let him make the decision.

(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.)