Readers, please send your letters. They can be emails, formal letters or handwritten notes. They are edited solely for grammar and spelling. Also, they are sometimes edited for length.
Dear Doctor Love,
I get annoyed easily. It happens with my friends and my family more than with other people. The strange thing about this is that I deal with the public all day long. Part of my job is to handle customers who are unhappy about something. I have more patience with them than I do with the other people in my life.
After being sarcastic or snappy with my friends or family I feel guilty. What can I do about this?
/s/ Guilty
Dear Guilty,
It seems that you have less patience with those who know you so well that they will not retaliate. This is more reasonable than it sounds. Nearly everyone does this to some degree. Most of it is mild. The wife has a stressful day at work and has to come home to fighting children and a house that needs to be cleaned. It is natural that she gets irritable with her spouse. In violently extreme cases the husband comes home drunk from a bad day at work and beats the wife and kids. Anyone who has ever watched COPS on television or who has lived in Belize understands the concept.
Your case is mild in comparison with others. The secret is to recognize it when it happens and seek forgiveness immediately. Simply by looking for answers you have won half of your battle already.
Dear Doctor Love,
There is a girl I know from school and I have had a crush on her for a long time. I know that she likes me, too. She always goes out of her way to be friendly and smile at me. Whenever she gets a chance she will sit next to me. She is very easy to talk to and we have had some long interesting conversations.
I think that she and I could have a really good thing except for her friend. Her friend does everything she can to come between us. If she sees us together she will always come over and get into the situation.
The girl I like has had this friend since grammar school so I know she is not going to get rid of her. How can I handle this so she will be my girlfriend?
/s/Blocked Out
Dear Blocked,
Surprise her by asking both of the girls out to go somewhere like walking on the beach or for ice cream. The friend may simply be over protective and this way you can reassure her that nothing underhanded is going on.
