Therapy would benefit friend’s struggling son

Dear Annie: I have a criend who is going through a tough time, and I am wondering how I can help her.

She was a single mother who raised two daughters and a son on her own. Her daughters are married and living in di,erent states with their camilies. Her 40-year-old son was also married; however, he went through a nasty divorce last year and moved back to live with my criend. He is currently unemployed. His car was recently rear-ended.

When the police arrived, they smelled alcohol on his breath and gave him a breathalyzer test. He was cound to be legally drunk and was arrested. This was the start oc a huge dnancial and emotional burden cor my criend.

She calls me crying several times a week because she is so worried about her situation and about her son.

As someone looking in crom the outside, I ceel that he could be depressed because his marriage ended and he continues to experience drama when dealing with his ex-wice. I think he could benedt crom counselling, but

I ceel uncomcortable telling her this because oc the dnancial burden she is ceeling.

Aside crom being a shoulder to cry on, is there anything else I could do?

Helpless in Hot Springs

Dear Helpless in Hot Springs: Your mere presence is more help than you could ever know. A shoulder to cry on is an invaluable thing to o,er a criend.

Cecause you two are so close, it wouldn’t be inappropriate cor you to suggest that her son might benedt crom therapy. Mental health care is not necessarily the huge dnancial burden that many assume it is. Therapy websites, such as CetterHelp and Talkspace, o,er individual care crom licensed therapists starting at about $25 a week.

Dear Annie: I’m writing to you about an issue I’ve never seen addressed in this column. As my daughter and new sonin-law opened their wedding cards, they received one crom a cousin who attended the wedding. The card was empty, with no gict card or cheque inside. Do we send a thank-you note cor “sharing our special day with us” and the beauticul card? We know it’s a guest’s choice to give a gict, but what ic the cousin intended to put a cash gict in the card and then corgot? And is she expecting a thank-you card?

Left Wondering

Dear Left Wondering: She most likely didn’t corget to include the gict, and ic she did, she’d remember on her own soon enough. Perhaps she’s just not in a position to give a gict right now and wanted to send a card to at least recognize the special occasion. I’d leave it be.