Don’t rush back into dating
Dear Abby: Last summer, after 24 years of marriage, I finally summoned the nerve to take my teenage daughter and leave my emotionally abusive husband. We are both thriving now.
I have been in therapy, lost almost 45 pounds and have rediscovered my selfconfidence all over again. A friend I have known for more than 10 years has expressed interest in dating me. I like him very much, but I’m not sure whether it would be appropriate to date yet. What do you think?
— Tentative in Massachusetts
Dear Tentative: Proceed with caution. When a person has been emotionally starved for a long time, then begins to feel attractive, accepted and validated again, the result can be euphoria — a powerful “high.”
What I think about your dating this man is less important than what your therapist thinks right now. Please make this question a priority during your next sessions because the insight you’ll gain into yourself will help you not only in a relationship with this man but in future ones as well.
Dear Abby: My 86-year-old dad buys all his food from the markdown “quick sale” tables, then lets it sit in the fridge for weeks or even months before he eats it. He insists the mold is penicillin and good for you. He eats moldy cheese, bread, fruit and meat I wouldn’t feed to my dogs. He has a turkey in the freezer that expired in 2008, and he can’t understand why I won’t cook it.
— Perplexed Daughter
Dear Perplexed Daughter: Your father is a product of his upbringing during the Great Depression, a time when many people were starving.
One reason that perishable products have a “sell by” date is that the food begins to lose its nutritional value. As to your father’s excuse that he’s ingesting “penicillin” when he eats moldy fruits, vegetables, baked goods and dairy products — I’m sure his doctor would prefer he get it by prescription only.
Spoiled food can cause serious illness, which is why the U.S. government publishes pamphlets on the important topic of food safety. Visit foodsafety.gov and print out some of the “Food Safety at a Glance” charts for him. If he refuses to take your advice and mine, perhaps he’ll be more receptive to what Uncle Sam has to say.