DEAR HARRIETTE: I am going home to visit family this Thanksgiving, and I’m kind of nervous. I haven’t been home in a long time, and I know that people have expectations of me and what I have accomplished since I have been gone.
Right now, my life is rocky. I lost my job and have been temping to pay the bills. I’m figuring it out, but I don’t want to talk about what’s going on. How can I be honest with people and keep my privacy? I really don’t want to talk about my trials and tribulations. -- Shut Up, Calvert County, Maryland
DEAR SHUT UP: You will need to decide what you are comfortable sharing about your life, because you know people will be asking. Most often the questioning comes out of love and a desire to support you and to be able to brag about what you are up to. Think of highlights that you can share about your life that are interesting and benign. Do you like to garden? What hobbies do you enjoy? Are you into fitness? Select something that points to how you have joy in your life.
As far as work goes, you can say that you are in transition. If you know what you are looking for or what you are interested in, you can talk about that while admitting that right now your work pays the bills but isn’t what you intend long-term.
(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.)