Siblings refuse to welcome sister’s new boyfriend with a criminal past

Dear Abby: I dearly love my youngest daughter. She’s the only one of my four daughters who has never married. For several months, she has been living with a man who is divorced and the father of two sons. He’s a caring father. The problem is his status as a felon, for possession of drugs and fleeing the police. He served his time and received commendations during that time. Her sisters refuse to come to my home if he’s present and won’t invite him for holidays.

My birthday is approaching, and I want her here, but she will not come without him. How long should it take for her sisters and their husbands to accept him?

— Accepting in New Jersey

Dear Accepting: If your daughter’s boyfriend lives a clean lifestyle, has found employment and is trying to turn his life around, your other daughters and their husbands should give him the chance to prove himself. That they refuse is sad in light of the fact that it prevents you from enjoying holidays with your entire family. However,

I can’t change what’s happening, and neither can you, so celebrate with this couple separately.

Dear Abby:

I am in an awkward situation and need a diplomatic way to handle it. I own a business, and one customer is persistently asking to socialize. I always give an excuse. He just continues to offer new dates and options. How do I get across to him that his invitations are not welcome, without jeopardizing our business relationship? — Help Needed

in California

Dear Help: Tell this man you are flattered he wants to take you out, however, you have one hard-and-fast rule, and that rule is never to date a client. Period.