DEAR HARRIETTE: I have a friend who always promises to meet me places, but who rarely shows up. I mean, we could be on the calendar and have verified that we would meet only for me to be sitting around waiting and she is a no-show. I don’t get it. I am tired of being stood up, but I don’t want to walk away from this friendship. How can I get my friend to be more responsible? -- Rogue Friend
DEAR ROGUE FRIEND: Stick to talking to this friend on the phone. That way you aren’t being stood up over and over again. Another option is to invite her to join you and a group. In that way, if she doesn’t come, you are still having fun. You should also sternly tell her that you don’t appreciate her blowing you off all the time; therefore, you are going to stop inviting her to hang out with you. Creating boundaries with her may be the way that you can manage your time better.
(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.)