Dear Queenie,
I’ve been retired and on pension for a couple of years and now my wife has retired too. I’ve been looking forward to having more time with her, but it bothers me that she has stopped colouring her hair and is letting it go natural, which is gray.
I guess the reason it bothers me is that it makes me feel so old to be married to an obviously old woman.
Queenie, how can I get her to keep on coloring her hair?—Old fogey with young ideas
Dear Queenie,
I got divorced several years ago after being married for almost 10 years. However, my parents still think of my ex as part of the family and invite him to all family gatherings. I think she is trying to pretend we are still married and is disrespecting my feelings.
Now Christmas is coming up and she will invite my ex even though I will be bringing my boyfriend that I have been with for almost 2 years.
Queenie, how can I get my mother to accept that things have changed and I have moved on?—Disrespected daughter
Dear Queenie,
My young adult daughter was among several witnesses that were summoned to give a statement on her boyfriend of two months. Now he is in prison, his mother and the rest of the family hate her, and it is tearing her apart.
Queenie, should she have continued to hide the truth from the detectives, and do you think that honesty is really the best policy?—Caught in a complicated situation
Dear Queenie,
Very often I meet up with someone who seems to know me very well, but I don’t recognise them or if I do, I can’t remember their name.
Queenie, I don’t want to seem rude. What to do?—Memory-impaired
Dear Queenie,
When you’re talking to someone with a speech problem like stuttering and you know what they’re trying to say, is it better to help them out by saying it for them or to just wait for them to get it out?—Frustrated listener
Dear Frustrated,
Wait – patiently, please!! – for them to get it out. How would you like it if someone interrupted you to finish your sentences? And who knows, you may be quite wrong about what they are trying to say, or at least about the word they are trying to use.
