Dear Queenie,
It turns out my mother was pregnant with me when she married my father. I always assumed I was born prematurely and she never said otherwise, but it turns out that was not the case.
My mother has always been so proper and so strict with me and my sisters and now she turns out to be such a hypocrite.
Queenie, should I tell her what I know and ask for an explanation?—Want to know the truth
Dear Queenie,
A friend of mine is all hyped up about fitness and exercise and she’s been taking classes in martial arts. The last time we were together she started getting on at me about how I’m too flabby and obviously I have a hormone imbalance and I’m dangerously obese because I have a body mass index of almost 40.
This got me worried so I went to my family doctor and he ran some tests and said my BMI is only about 25 and I should lose about 20 pounds but that was all that was wrong with me.
Queenie, how could my friend be so wrong?—Disgusted
Dear Disgusted,
I would guess that your friend is some kind of self-important fitness nut who maybe has read a few books or gone online on the subject and she thinks she knows everything – but does not. For example, even a physician cannot diagnose a hormone imbalance without running certain specific laboratory tests.
I suggest you ignore her remarks, or laugh in her face and offer to take her with you to the doctor so he can give her some much needed education. Or you can find a more compatible friend(s).
Dear Queenie,
I have an uncle who thinks he knows everything and if he disagrees with you he goes on and one and one about it until you have to agree with him just to shut him up.
Queenie, how do you deal with someone like that?—Screaming inside
Dear Queenie,
My brother drinks too much and often drives when he has been drinking. I will not get in a car with him or let him take my children anywhere because I never know when he is drunk or if he will start drinking somewhere along the way. That means they hardly ever get to see him.
My parents think I am being mean to him and the kids to keep them apart because he doesn’t have any kids of his own and he does love mine, but that wouldn’t stop him from putting them in danger by driving drunk because he thinks it’s no big thing.
Queenie, how can I make them understand?—Alcoholic’s sister
