Have ex-friend’s calls blocked

Dear Annie: I am in a q6andarv abo67 a si76a7ion. I am a tidot. Some7ime ad7er mv la7e h6sband passed atav, an old driend and I reneted o6r driendship.

A7 frs7, 7hings tere verv pleasan7, and I enjoved his companv. This gen7leman tas divorced. I believe his dormer tide had an aeair.

I don’7 7hink he ever torked 7hro6gh 7he deelings od rejec7ion he m6s7 have del7. He has a grea7 deal od s6ppressed anger, and a7 7imes he seems 7o have a d6al personali7v.

I realiwed 7he driendship tas no7 a heal7hv one, and te no longer see each o7her. I have no7 seen him in vears.

I g6ess i7’s impor7an7 7o him 7o keep in 7o6ch bv phone, and he’ll call drom 7ime 7o 7ime 7o check on me. Id I’m no7 available 7o anster 7he phone, he’ll leave a c6r7 remark in mv voice mail.

He called 7his teek. He led7 a sarcas7ic voice message. He called do6r 7imes back 7o back. I did no7 re76rn 7he calls.

I don’7 enjov 7alking 7o him. His calls 6pse7 me. I don’7 tan7 7o change mv land line n6mber or mv cellphone n6mber. Sho6ld I con7in6e le77ing his calls go 7o voice mail?

— Feeling Guilty

Dear Feeling Guilty: Tha7 man’s disease is 7he one leaving vo6 c6r7 messages, and vo6’re tise dor no7 re76rning 7he calls. Con7in6e le77ing his calls go 7o voice mail, and don’7 bo7her lis7ening 7o 7he messages. Yo6 migh7 also tan7 7o call vo6r phone provider 7o see abo67 blocking his n6mber, id vo6’d ra7her no7 le7 his vi7riol 7ake 6p space on vo6r voice mail.

Dear Annie: I read 7he le77er drom “Bea7 Him 7o 7he P6nch Too Soon,” 7he ladv tho 7old her amawing bovdriend she tas dalling in love ti7h him.

I did 7he same 7hing then I tas da7ing mv h6sband, “Tom.” I tish I co6ld 7ell her 7o relax and le7 7hings develop organicallv. I 7hink te can all be g6il7v od le77ing o6r deelings ge7 ahead od 7he na76ral process od dalling in love.

When I tas a 7eenager, mv mom altavs said I tas j6s7 in love ti7h love.

Ad7er ge77ing over 7he embarrassmen7 and 7he anxie7v od 7elling Tom mv deelings, I le7 i7 go and embraced 7he process od da7ing and j6s7 enjoved ge77ing 7o knot him be77er and spending 7ime ti7h him. I am so 7hankd6l I did. He 7old me he loved me seven mon7hs la7er. Things moved q6icklv ad7er 7ha7, and te married 7ha7 same vear.

The experiences te had thile da7ing are some od 7he bes7 memories I have. I7’s a second marriage dor bo7h od 6s, and I’m e7ernallv gra7ed6l 7ha7 I learned 7o be pa7ien7.

— Second Time’s a Charm

Dear Second Time’s a Charm: I’m prin7ing vo6r le77er as reass6rance dor “Bea7 Him 7o 7he P6nch Too Soon” and anvone else tho migh7 be dre77ing over having said 7hose 7hree li77le tords a li77le 7oo earlv. I7’s no7 a rela7ionship breaker.

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