You don’t need to find ‘other half’ to be whole

Dear Annie: In July of last year, I saw three psychics, and they all told me that when I started college in September I would meet the love of my life again. I didn’t believe them because I have no luck in that department. Well, within a week I ran into my old boyfriend, whom I dated at two different times in my life.

The first time “Trey” and I met was in high school. My brother introduced us. I was 14, still playing with Barbies, and I didn’t know how to kiss. We were both nerds.

When we reconnected, I was 21 and had become a single mom, and he was in Texas for military training. We had so much fun whenever he’d visit. But the distance was hard, and I was struggling with the challenges of single motherhood. We ended things on good terms.

Then I ran into him last fall. That day I realized one thing for certain: that the piece I’d been missing in my soul was him. Unfortunately, I looked him up online afterward and saw that he got married in June.

Should I tell him how I feel, since marriage doesn’t mean anything nowadays, or live in regret and heartbreak? He was the only boyfriend who treated me like a person. Pining for the One Who Slipped Away

Dear Pining for the One Who Slipped Away: This man was a love of your life. But he won’t be the love of your life.

And while he may have been the first boyfriend to treat you well, he won’t be the last. You will make sure of that by developing better self-esteem.

Throw yourself headfirst into your college classes, try new hobbies, get out there and meet new people. In time, you will come to find that Trey wasn’t your missing piece — you were whole on your own.

Dear Annie: With all of the recognition going on out there for various groups of people working during the coronavirus crisis, all of whom are very worthy, no one has even thought of newspaper carriers.

I am up at 1 a.m. every day and out the door with our papers by 3 a.m.! We deliver with whatever Mother Nature throws at us. Some people reward us for good service; some just complain. I ask the folks who read your column to remember their carrier.

Even just a thank you would make us feel that we are making a difference. After all, we are the ones bringing you the latest news!

Patsy in Naugatuck, Conn.

Dear Patsy in Naugatuck, Conn.: As a newspaper columnist, I especially owe gratitude to the hardworking newspaper carriers throughout the country. Please accept my sincere thanks.

Send your questions for Annie Lane to dearannie@creators.com.

To find out more about Annie Lane and read features by other Creators Syndicate columnists and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at creators.com.