Dear Annie: My fiancé, “Clyde,” and I have been together for three years. We have a great relationship. We have lived together for two years, and my 5-year-old considers him “Dad.”

Clyde is divorced and has two daughters, 16 and 18. His marriage was destructive and abusive, yet he still goes to his ex-wife’s house three times a week to see his 16-year-old. Clyde and I have only one day together as a family with my son.

His kids want nothing to do with me, so they won’t come to our place. I’ve missed out on several family events because his kids didn’t want me there. I have asked Clyde repeatedly to stop splitting his life in two. His kids will make no effort to know me if he doesn’t insist on it. They are old enough to understand that they should respect our situation even if they don’t like it. And they would benefit from seeing their father in a healthy relationship.

The ex-wife continues to be controlling and nasty. She constantly asks Clyde for favors and says negative things about me to him and his kids. He doesn’t understand why I have a problem with this or why I feel like my son and I take a back seat to his past. I have discussed seeing a counselor, but he’s resistant.

I expect Clyde to be there for his kids, but why can’t he cut the strings with his ex? I have been loving, understanding, supportive and patient, but I feel that he’s taking advantage because it’s easier to disappoint me than to stand up to his ex. I make him a priority, and in return, he gives me the scraps.

— Becoming Resentful

Dear Resentful:Clyde doesn’t want to risk losing the affection of his daughters, which is why he is easily manipulated by them and also by their mother. But you are right that they will not respect your relationship if he doesn’t insist on it. Get counseling, with or without him, and decide what your next step is.

————

Dear Annie: For most of her adult life, my older, unmarried sister was a successful executive. Several years ago, she contentedly retired. At the age of 68, however, she is forgetting words here and there and seems a little hazy about some past events. There is no history of Alzheimer’s in my family, but I am afraid she might be developing dementia. She is aware of this memory issue, and it frustrates her. She always has prided herself on her intelligence and competence.

I don’t want to insult her, and I’m scared to discuss this because she gets her hackles up. My parents lived into their 90s and never had these memory issues. I think she needs to see a doctor. What do you recommend?

— Concerned

Dear Concerned: Being unable to come up with the right word at the moment and forgetting some past events are not unusual and do not indicate dementia, but they could indicate stress, poor diet, lack of sleep, too much going on or too little mental stimulation. Here’s a good gauge that we’ve always liked: If you forget where the keys are, it’s normal. If you forget what the keys are for, it’s not. Your sister is aware of the problem and is capable of seeing a doctor on her own. If you notice that her lapses are getting substantially worse or are diminishing her ability to function, then you should urge her to discuss it with a medical professional.

————

Dear Annie: I am a 14-year breast cancer survivor and an active volunteer with the American Cancer Society. Please tell “Beside Myself in Jersey” to contact the ACS at 1-800-227-2345. Her dear mother-in-law does not have to put up with a rude and abusive person to get to appointments. She can get rides from a qualified Road to Recovery driver. These services are provided at no charge to those fighting cancer.

— Palmdale

Dear Palmdale: Bless you and all the others who wrote with this suggestion.

————

Annie’s Mailbox is written by Kathy Mitchell and Marcy Sugar, longtime editors of the Ann Landers column. Email your questions to [email protected], or write to: Annie’s Mailbox, c/o Creators Syndicate, 737 3rd Street, Hermosa Beach, CA 90254. To find out more about Annie’s Mailbox and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.

— Creators Syndicate Inc.

Comments

comments