advice

If you’re in any relationship only for what you get out of it, you’re in that relationship for the wrong reasons. Really, it’s not about the other person either; it’s about the relationship. Like actors in a play, you’re there together to tell one story. It’s not about you. So be kind, be generous, be compassionate, be forgiving, and above all, be supportive of the relationship itself — not just the other person in it.

Aunt Ginger is back. This week she's talking to a... guy. Who needs some help. Seriously. A lot of help.

I think “It can be difficult” probably qualifies for the understatement of the century. There is just nothing in a phrase so casual and noncommittal that conveys anything like the reality of this labor of love. I’m not saying that we need to be all doom and gloom about parenting all the time — there are plenty of joys in parenting, and plenty of space to talk about those joys — but I do think that when we’re trying to talk about the hard parts, we should, you know, actually talk about the hard parts.

Welcome Aunt Ginger, a collaborative effort with the fantastic illustrator Kevin Nordstrom and us (and soon,YOU).

Parenting is not easy. It’s really hard — even more so for single parents. I can only guess that parents are frustrated with being parents. I imagine it’s frustrating to watch people like me take a 2-hour nap whenever they want, when all you want is five minutes to go to the bathroom alone.

I'd like your opinion on why a smart, formerly-independent woman can't break ties with someone who I know is emotionally manipulating me, making me question myself, uses me as an option at his convenience, is a womanizer, and admits to being a narcissist?

So, here’s the deal: I am a lesbian. My girlfriend and I have been together for three years. We have had a completely monogamous relationship. But recently, we have been talking about the possibility of a polyamorous relationship, mainly because she has been pressing the issue.

I’ve heard that you learn something new in every relationship you have in life, and I guess that’s true. But I actually learned more in my recent breakup with my ex of nearly a year than I did in the relationship itself. And they were some lessons I really needed.