DEAR HARRIETTE: I am struggling to get my health on track. My doctor has warned me that I am prediabetic. I have seen other people my age who have diabetes and some of the side effects that come with it when treatment and diet are not taken seriously, but for some reason, that doesn’t seem to be enough for me to change my own ways. I don’t really eat many sweets, but I think my affinity for pizza, pasta, bagels and other carb-heavy foods are the real culprits. Since I got this health update, I’ve tried to make some changes, but I fall right back into my old habits and cravings. I am often thinking about what I will eat next. Do I have a food addiction? I am afraid that I can’t get a handle on my own eating habits even for my own good. -- Health on the Line

DEAR HEALTH ON THE LINE: Changing habits is hard for everyone. Your food cravings are real, and they need to be addressed. The good news is that you are aware of this. Ask your doctor to refer you to a dietitian who can help you map out your meals and create discipline in your eating. Give yourself grace as you change your habits, but do take this seriously. The alarm has rung that you are prediabetic. Work as hard as you can now to avoid having full-blown diabetes later. Have you explored with your doctor taking any of the newer weight loss rugs out there?

You may also want to get a therapist to help you sort through your relationship to food. If you do have a food addiction, the professional can help you deal with that.

DEAR HARRIETTE: I have a huge family and a long list of friends I’ve built over the years from college, work, my sorority, my neighborhood, community clubs, church and so much more. As my husband and I were planning our wedding, we realized our guest list was way too long, and my process of elimination was based on current social proximity -- meaning how close I am with a person now. A friend I grew up with, someone I still love but just don’t see or speak with frequently, reached out to me after the wedding to tell me off. Even after she’d heard about invitations being sent out, she assumed hers was just a bit delayed. She accused me of being pretentious and thinking that I am better than our childhood friends. How do I respond to a message like this? She’s totally wrong about my reasoning, and while I still have love for her, I shouldn’t have to explain my life choices to someone who harbors so much animosity. -- Guest List

DEAR GUEST LIST: Your childhood friend’s feelings are hurt. She lashed out in an inappropriate manner, but hopefully you can see through that. Call her back and apologize for not being able to invite her to your wedding. Tell her that as much as you wanted to include everyone who has been close to you in your life, you did not have the space or budget to do so. You had to make tough decisions in limiting your guest list to your current closest friends and family. Tell her you did not mean to hurt her or any others from your childhood.

(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 best friend and I have shifted from talking and texting most days to interacting only via social media. It didn’t happen overnight, but at some point, I felt as though I was always initiating communication. I was in a tough season recently, and when I didn’t have it in me to call or text loved ones, I realized I didn’t hear from her. Since then, our friendship has felt distant, at least to me. She comments on my social posts regularly, but that feels superficial. Maybe she doesn’t realize or care about the shift in our dynamic, but I feel like our friendship has completely faded. Now I wonder, was our friendship even real? -- Internet Friend

DEAR INTERNET FRIEND: In your evaluation of your friendship, what did you like about being close to this person and what didn’t quite work? Could you have missed signs that you weren’t as close as you thought? What do you want from this friendship now? It could be that your friendship has simply changed over time, or you may have always been more committed than her.

Either way, now is the time for you to decide if you want to rekindle the closeness you once treasured or acknowledge it for what it is and move on. Surely you don’t expect a “best friend” to be someone you connect with on social media only. Act accordingly.

DEAR HARRIETTE: I’m tired of being the only planner in my family. All family events, paperwork and major decisions fall to me, despite having two older siblings. My parents’ 30th anniversary just went by, and six months prior my siblings and I discussed throwing them a well-deserved celebration with all our friends and family. As the big day approached and I realized my siblings were dragging their feet, I began sending out invites and reaching out to vendors. As I began to secure certain things, I’d write to my siblings, asking how they could help and when they were available. Sometimes my messages would go unanswered, or they’d say they’d let me know soon and not follow up at all. I ended up planning it all alone.

On the day of the party, my brother, amazed, told me he knew I didn’t need any help because I’m “so great at this.” My hypercritical sister kept asking about small details that she didn’t like or that I had missed completely. Either way, I didn’t like it. Why can’t I rely on my siblings? What am I doing that makes them view me as the safety net? -- Family Planner

DEAR FAMILY PLANNER: You are taking action and proving to them that you won’t drop the ball. For the next activity, assign them specific tasks rather than asking them loosely what they will do. Yes, it will mean that you are still the organizer, but at least this way you may get some help in executing a plan. Give them deadlines and schedule required weekly meetings to review progress. By guiding them through the process, you will be showing them how to take some of the load off of you in the future.

(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 think my son may be harboring some resentment toward me. We have a strained relationship, and even though I want us to be closer, the distance seems intentional on his end. If I try asking questions, he gets defensive or gives short responses only, and sometimes it turns into an argument or disagreement. On more than one occasion, he’s referenced times in the past where I might’ve overstepped a boundary, spoken up on his behalf or been overbearing. How can I move forward with my son if he won’t forgive me for the past? I wish he could realize that those things I did were just a mama bear looking out for her cub. -- Boy Mom

DEAR BOY MOM: Ask your son if the two of you can have a meeting where he shares all of his memories and concerns about your relationship. Ask him to let it all out so that you can hear whatever is on his heart. Do your best not to interrupt him. Clearly, things have occurred that have hurt his feelings. He needs to be able to say them all without backlash from you.

Apologize for whatever he mentions. Let him know that you never meant to hurt his feelings and that what you did was your way of being his mom and trying to protect him. Admit that you know you aren’t perfect and that you are sorry if anything you did -- whether you continue to think it was justified -- hurt him.

Ask him if he is willing to put the past aside and work to build a new relationship with you now. Remind him that you love him and want nothing more than to be close to him. Be patient and ready to take this next step together. Be mindful of not taking over. Become a good listener.

DEAR HARRIETTE: I have a close friend who has been out of work for two years. I have helped him as much as I can, including fronting him rent money so that he doesn’t go homeless and giving him carfare to go to job interviews. I love him and want to support him, but so far, he hasn’t gotten a job. I have to support my family; I can’t take on his financial burdens much longer. How do I address this with someone who is obviously in dire need? Part of me can’t help but feel that I’m enabling him. Yes, it’s hard to find work, but he knows I’m not going to let him be out on the streets. -- Broken Lifeline

DEAR BROKEN LIFELINE: Sit down with your friend and give him a timeline. Express how much you love him and want to have his back as you have had for the past two years, but you can no longer support him financially. Suggest that he look at social services to get short-term government support so he can buy food and keep his home. Give him a deadline at which point you can no longer give him money. This is difficult, I know, but he has to figure out his own life.

(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.)