DEAR ABBY: I am a 37-year-old divorced mom of two. I have recently gotten into relationships with two completely different men. One of them, "Steve," has the life I have always wanted, and he says he loves me more than life itself. The other, "Rick," I love more than life itself, but sometimes I have the feeling he doesn't love me as much as I do him.
If I were to love Steve the way I love Rick OR if Rick were to love me the way Steve does, the decision would be clear.
They both love my kids, and I love theirs. Both want to build a life with me. How do I decide which path to take?
— STUCK IN A LOVE TRIANGLE
DEAR TRIANGLE: You are no more stuck than you want to be. I know what decision I would make if my choice was between a man who loved me more than life itself and who could give me the life I had always dreamed of, and someone I was crazy about but suspected didn't love me as much — but only you can decide what is right for you and your children. I don't think you should marry either man unless you are confident you can do it without second-guessing yourself.
DEAR ABBY: My child attends a private elementary school. The school is trying to discourage gossip, which can lead to teasing and bullying. The way they do it is, when a child asks a question about another child, the teacher's answer is, "That's none of your business."
Whether I agree with that response is irrelevant because I feel schools have the right to run themselves the way they deem proper. However, isn't there a nicer way to phrase it? I think I remember hearing years ago something like, "Please tend to your own affairs."
— CLAMPING DOWN ON GOSSIP
DEAR CLAMPING DOWN: I agree that whoever wrote the script for those educators was less than tactful. A better way to phrase it would be, "You do YOU, and stop worrying about other people," which might be less harsh.