Dear Queenie,
My sister’s daughter is getting married in another country next winter and we will have to get passports to go there. It will be an expensive trip and we will never use the passports again.
Queenie, do we have to go?—Wedding Etty Ket
Dear Etty Ket,
You are not obligated to attend any wedding, especially if the trip will be a financial problem. For that matter, if the COVID-19 pandemic is still going on at the time, travel may still be restricted and you may not be allowed to make the trip.
RSVP with your regrets, and send the happy couple as nice a gift as you can afford.
Dear Queenie,
Some time ago we let some friends of ours stay in our vacation home while we were not using it. Then when we went to stay there we found a lot of family photos of theirs hanging on the walls in different rooms.
Queenie, what made them think they could decorate my home that way? And what should I do with the photos?—Offended host
Dear Host,
Probably your guests just wanted to have the pictures around them while they were staying in a strange place, and forgot to take them with them when they left.
Take the pictures down, pack them up and return them to your friends the first chance you get.
Dear Queenie,
We have a grandson who lives on another island. He never calls us or e-mails us, even though we send him gifts and have helped him out financially on occasion.
Queenie, what is the matter with young people these days? Or are we expecting too much of him?—Offended Grampa
Dear Grampa,
Some young adults tend to take members of their family for granted. I suspect your grandson will get in touch with you the next time he needs financial help. But there is no excuse for not sending some sort of “thank you” message when he receives a gift, so feel free not to send any more gifts until you hear from him – and then not unless he thanks you for whatever you send.
Dear Queenie,
My boyfriend and I just broke up after being together for almost 10 years.
Queenie, will I ever be able to love anyone else? Will I ever find someone else to love? And how will I know when it happens?—Lonely lady
Dear Lady,
The end of one relationship does not mean that you will never have another. To begin with, ask yourself why your relationship ended and try to learn from the reason(s).
If you are open to making new acquaintances and finding new ways to relate to people you already know, you will have a chance of finding a new romance. And you will know when it happens by the way the other person makes you feel.
Dear Queenie,
My wife and I have a good sex life but only if I start things going. I’m beginning to think she just doesn’t enjoy it that much, or maybe I’m not as attractive to her as I think.
Queenie, is she just doing me a favor?—Worried husband
Dear Husband,
Many women have been brought up to believe that it is not proper for a woman to initiate sexual activity, even with their husband. Also, many women find sex unrewarding or even painful when their hormone levels change with menopause.
It might help if you talk to your wife about this, with the help of her doctor or a professional counsellor if necessary.
