Navigating the landmines in my young world — The first time a boy ever asked me out happened in ninth grade. “Will you go out with me?” he said over the phone. I panicked. Liking somebody was one thing, but I wasn’t ready for a whole relationship. I was only fourteen years old and had always kept the…

I want to tell them they’re out of line — Dear GG, I’m a 22-year-old woman who has been dating a wonderful 21-year-old man for the past couple of months. He’s incredibly sweet and affectionate, and we’ve already exchanged the words “I love you.” However, my friends don’t seem to share my enthusiasm about him. I invited some of these…

The moment when time stood still — I once had a therapist who was a firm believer in the power of visualization. At each session, she would have me sit on her comfortable fluffy couch and close my eyes. Her instructions were simple: imagine myself in a happy place. I always struggled to conjure up such a…

How I suffered and survived — Right before my oldest son, Brandon, was born, I thought I couldn’t be more ready. His nursery was stocked full of diapers, a Diaper Genie, a brand new crib with proper padding and literally everything else a new mother would need. I’d read all the baby books, everything from “The…

I snapped at my son the other day. — Dear GG, I’m a 25-year-old single mother of two who has gone through a recent divorce. My son is three years old, and I have a newborn daughter. I love them both with all my heart, but they can be a handful. I worry about my patience running thin because…

Where are the people who love me? — Dear GG, My dear husband passed a year ago after 25 years of marriage. We were high school sweethearts, and he was my first and only love. He was very well liked, and his funeral included many of our family and friends and even his co-workers. Every person I talked…

My message and their response — Mother’s Day was yesterday. UPS delivered a giant box to our house, and when I opened it, I saw a beautiful gift bag that was purple and silver and sparkly. There was a card from my two sons, Brandon and Shawn, saying that they wanted to get me something practical…

We’re a nation in distress — I saw a picture of a little boy’s brains the other day. He died because he was shot with an AR-15 during a mass shooting in Texas (again). Honestly, I didn’t go looking for the picture. It popped up in my Twitter feed several times. When I first saw it…

Can I possibly regain my wife’s trust? — Dear GG, I’m a 39-year-old man, and my spouse is 34. A few months ago, I had a short fling with a coworker. It was a huge mistake that I sincerely regret. Even though I ended the affair, I still confessed everything to my wife. To say she is angry…