Dear Bartender and Priestess,
I think I am in over my head and I am not sure what to do. I have been married for 8 years and have two children, ages 6 and 2. My husband and I have always been environmentally and socially conscious, and recently decided to try “simple living”. Against the cautions of some of our family members, we decided to downsize from a 2500 sq ft suburban home to a 650 sq ft “tiny house” that we had custom built for our family. Continue reading
Dear Bartender and Priestess,
My sister (who is 27) and her boyfriend (25) have been together for a little over six years now. They enjoy the same things, share a lot of the same views, and enjoy each other’s company. They have one major issue, though, that threatens their relationship. To sum him up, he is a chauvinist, and his attitude has caused an emotional block between them. Continue reading
Dear Bartender and Priestess,
I am a stay-at-home mom, who works from home too, and have generally considered myself friendly and able to maintain good friendships. I have a large group of mutual friends and we occasionally get together for celebrations or girls’ nights. But I have a pretty strong political streak, and I think that and Facebook are impacting my social life. Continue reading
Dear Bartender and Priestess,
I have been with my boyfriend for two years. We’ve had our ups and downs, but we love each other and are committed to our relationship. We have one major stumbling block, though.
We are a couple of mixed race. He is a white man in his late 30s, who has not had a ton of experience trying to understand a life outside of the one he was born into. I am a black woman in the city, and I feel like my identity is tightly wound around my culture, race, and politics. Continue reading
Dear Bartender and Priestess,
I am a successful, generally happy gay man. In a matter of a few weeks, I am going to marry the man of my dreams. My boyfriend and I have been together, lived together, for 10 years. Eventually we’re going to throw a huge party for all our friends and extended families, but we decided we want to keep our wedding day small. Immediate families, extremely close friends.
Unfortunately, my father has declared that he’s not coming to my wedding. Continue reading
Dear Bartender and Priestess,
I was raised Catholic, and my parents and I go to church semi-regularly. I am 19 years old and in college, and still live with my parents. Recently, I learned something that’s kind of freaking me out and I don’t know what to do. Continue reading
Dear Bartender and Priestess,
I was supposed to be getting married in less than a month. Instead, my ex-fiance and I have called it off and completely broken up. Now, I feel like I’m left to my own devices. I am overwhelmed by my sense of loss and pain, and am already seeing a therapist to process everything. I am heart-sick, and can’t even put everything to the side because I have to de-plan everything we’d planned. I never knew I could feel this exhausted.
But still. I am left wondering…just what in the heck am I supposed to do on what would have been my wedding day? Continue reading
Dear Bartender and Priestess,
My two sisters and I have generally been close. Recently, we have undergone a bit of an upheaval, and it’s causing some issues in our family.
The youngest, Susan, has been married to Stan for 13 years. Susan and Stan separated four months ago. Last month, Susan started dating again. Continue reading
Dear Bartender and Priestess: When I was in medical school I fell in love with one of my classmates, a great guy, I’ll call him “Bob”. We’ve been together for four years, but for the better part of a year it’s been long distance; my residency is in our home town, but he is doing his residency in another state. We see each other every month and are completely solid as a couple, deeply in love.
Two years ago, Bob and I visited my father and stepmother. Bob likes to discuss politics and history and can hold his own in a discussion; my father has decided Continue reading
So there we were, two wise and slightly odd women, who spend our lives talking to folks, taking a break from all that by just sitting around talking about our work. We realized that we wind up discussing the same issues with people of all walks of life because, regardless of differences of background and influence, people have shared concerns. Fears. Worries. Hopes for a future. And, despite our coming from very different perspectives and often using very different processes, we often wind up with similar opinions about life.
So, who better to offer an advice column than the two of us? We’re going to be thinking about this stuff anyway — so we decided to think in such a way that you could follow us… and think with us… and start thinking about how you make good decisions.
And besides, we’re funny, and we have really great suggestions. And mostly, we’re kind. So follow us! Enjoy us! And ask us some questions you’ve long wanted answers for…
The Bartender and the Priestess
Smart Women: Here to help!