Hi Maryanne,

I’m having some very painful times right now, due to not following your really great advice in your workshop…I wondered if I could ask you something? I’m having a bit of an ethical dilemma.

A friend set me up with this man, a well-known philanthropist; we’ll call him Giles Dawson. Because my girlfriend vetted him, so to speak, and because I spent some time with him and began to trust him, I decided to spend the night with him. I mentioned using a condom, and he said, “I’ve been tested, I am healthy.” Stupid, stupid me. A few days later I got a virulent herpes infection, and I’ve never, ever had an STD or even a yeast infection. I am paying big time now. When I confronted him he refused to let me see the results of the said tests, or let my doctor have access to them. Speaks volumes, albeit in Hindsight!

… read more

Kati Asked:

“I’ve been married for six years. I have two children. Ive been with my husband since I was 17. He has had a rocky past with alcohol and drugs as well as a little bit of a criminal past. He was unable to help support my kids and keep a roof over our heads so we lived with my parents for the major part of our relationship. He’s been to jail, rehab twice and has told he has a bad liver and still continues to drink(not as much but still drinks). He has no support system other than myself and no family who cares about him what so ever. I feel i resent him for some of his behaiviors and I’m not sure if I love him any more. He clings to me and the stress of letting him go is almost unbearable because he begs and pleads and is after all the father of my two children. I feel like i might want to fing my independance and find out who I am on my own. He has moved back in with myself and my family and is cleaning the house like a mad man and taking care of the kids really well.. im not sure what to do. im really wishy washy about him and all i want is to know what i want or even how to handle this. He has done some really messed up things that i don’t know if I can forgive him for. like stealing from my sick grandma and and not returning from the store when i sent him for tylenol for my son(he didnt come home till the following day). dont know if i want this to work even though he’s improving. what do i do??”

- Kati (25, Charleston, SC)

… read more

Anneliese Asked:

“My ex-boyfriend and I have known each other four years now and next month would be our three year anniversary. From the beginning, I haven’t been a very good partner and have cheated on him twice. At one point, we were engaged but eventually broke up due to my second affair. Although he has lied to me in the past about certain things, to my knowledge he has never cheated. He has forgiven me for all the things that I have done to him but inevitably has become a bit disillusioned and does not trust me. I am trying to gain his trust back but I also do not trust him because of the times he has lied to me (which have been about two or three times). Lately we’ve been arguing a lot but have every intention to try things out again when I get back home from studying abroad. What troubles me now is that he insists that I will have to trust him “the hard way” meaning he refuses to give me any of his passwords to any of his accounts because he says he has been faithful from the very beginning and that this time around he wants to do things differently than in the past. He says this because he believes that by having given me everything I wanted in the past, things didn’t work out well and now believes he needs to change the way in which he does things between us. Could he be lying or is he truly trying to make things work out? I know he truly cares about and loves me because no guy in his right mind would still be around after all the things I’ve done. However, I’m afraid that he might just be too comfortable being with me. Please help!”

- Anneliese (19)

… read more

Rob Asked:

“about two months ago, i went out with this girl for few weeks (btw we’re both 19) and it seemed to be going well until she told me she ‘wasn’t ready for a relationship’. so we broke up and sort of drifted apart and stopped speaking. then suddenly, i get a text from her last week asking if i wanted to go out for a drink with her at some point ‘only as friends at the moment’ and i said yes. this has confused me though because by saying ‘at the moment’ it implies that she still wants a relationship with me. thing is, i don’t know how to approach this situation, do i go and just be friendly with her or should i try to let know that i still like her?”

- Rob (19, Birmingham)

… read more

In my book about relationship advice titled: “The 3 Most Effective Ways to Increase Romance and Happiness in Your Relationship”, I addressed how small acts of kindness go a long way in any life situation. Remember when we talked about how it makes you smile when your partner brings you a cup of coffee in bed in the morning or brings home your favorite flavor ice cream? These little acts of kindness and gestures go a long way to increasing happiness and romance in your relationship.

Little acts of kindness provide your relationship with more intimacy, happiness and better sex.

… read more

“The Right Time is Always Now.”
LoVe LuCy

With the year closing in, we may be looking back on all that has transpired over the last 12 months.

All the amazing people we have met, all the amazing lessons we have learned. Perhaps we have been looking forward to putting a few things behind us, in preparation for a brand new year, and a brand new perspective on life.
Whatever the case may be, any unfinished business can be handled, in order for us to feel great about ourselves, our positions, and the position we see ourselves in for 2010.

… read more

As a lesbian nearing 30 years of being out, I finally felt compelled to write an article about bi-sexual women and to put a different spin on the ongoing debates about them. There are those who embrace them and those who dismiss them as soon as the word bisexual is uttered. I find there are as many different types of bisexuals as there are lesbians. Each woman coming with their own unique thoughts and ideas about what being a bisexual is.

… read more

The flame roars as Alex adds more wood to the fireplace. Tonya sits back in the lounge chair with her tea in hand thinking of how good the crackles from the popping wood. Alex settles into the couch, draping the small blanket across his legs and a portion of it on her feet. The darkness of the night continues to soften the mood of these two prisoners of their own lives. Each sips from their warm cup of tea that sends steam up their faces. Tonya stares at the side of his face, wondering what he’s thinking as he stares into the fireplace. Alex slowly turns to look at Tonya, obviously wanting to say something, but unclear on how to say it. Tonya leans forward and places her cup down gently on the table. “It’s time we talked,” she says to him rather boldly. Alex places his cup down as well and waits for her to begin.

… read more

Gene Asked:

“My wife and i have been married for 21 years. She told me she still loves me but is not as much in love with me as she used to be. Now she has started talking on her cell phone and texting a few guys, she says they are friends only and swears on our kids lives there is nothing to worry about. She went back to her home town last weekend and went out two times with an old girfriend from high school without telling me anything about it. When i am around her i feel strange, I feel like she is hard to talk to. We have talked about divorce. She tells me i can leave if i want to, she wont try to stop me. When i ask her if she wants me to leave she gets upset and tells me she would tell me if she wanted me to leave, She said she wasnt scared to let me to leave if she wanted to. she says she doesn’t know what she wants. I love her with all of my heart and i want it to work. She says it will take time. I didnt show her much attention during our time together and she lost a lot of weight. She said since she lost the wieght guys tell her how good she looks and i never told her anything. I also have a felling she may be cheating on me. I try to talk to her about us but she always gets mad. She said she was going to make an appointment to a marrage counsler because she owes it to me and the kids to try. When i ask her if she is going for her to and she doesn’t answer, Then she said if she didnt care she wouldnt go. I dont know what to do but i feel that it is over and she is getting her ducks in a row getting bills paid to leave me.”

- Gene (46)

… read more

Matt Asked:

“Sorry that this is long but i just need to talk to someone about this!! So Im with this girl we used to have a relationship but broke up for a month and a half because she said i was to clingy and jealous!! Ive never had a real girlfriend since I was skateboarding and traveling with my sponsors but once i broke my wrist i thought hmm why not try to have a relationship!! So one day after our little break up she calls me and says oh i miss everything about you, i miss the way you make me feel, your sense of humor, i miss everything about you!! So she asked me to come over and hang out with her!! So i did because i missed her to!! She said she wants to take things slow!! Like how do i not get soo jealous!! Like were driving home from like a movie and ill see her texting a guy bcuz i looked in the corner of my eye to see and its some dude and like its soo hard to act like its cool when its really not to me!! How do i not be soo clingy i dont want to ruin things with her at all!! Also im still new at being a boyfriend(even thought right now were not together were just working on things) how much should a couple hang out a week because in the summer we used to hang out like every day like she was my summer but i do remember sometimes we would get into little fights but how much should a couple hang out a week!! How do i trust her when she says shes doing something? And last but not least I wanna know how much i should text her a day and what the messages should kinda be about because i dont want her to lose her attraction for me!! I know im young but i dont care were both in love and i know she wants the same too she just wants me to change my clinginess and jealousy!! Soo if you could answer those questions for me!! You would be a life saver and you would make my life easier and happier each day!!”

- Matt (18, Milwaukee, WI)

… read more