Dear Queenie,
My father died a few years ago and since then my mother has turned her back on all her own friends and butted in on my relationships with my own friends.
Not only is this a nuisance when we want to do things together, it makes it impossible for me to stay on the same terms with my friends when my mother always seems to be involved.
Queenie, why doesn’t she stick to friends her own age?—Fed up daughter
Dear Fed up,
Has it occurred to you that your mother may not have turned her back on all her former friends so much as they have turned their back on her? This happens quite often when couples do not know how to deal with a single woman amongst them, especially if the wives think she is “on the prowl” for a new husband.
Perhaps you could encourage her to socialise and/or become involved in volunteer work with a group of people more her own age. She might even meet some interesting eligible men to occupy her interest.
