Dear Auntie Linda, I am a seventeen-year-old boy and barely squeaking through high-school, even though I am working very hard.  I manage to get Cs even though I can barely write, but I know I am smart.  I can fix a car, repair a lawn-mower, and do all kinds of repairs on anything that breaks down around the house, mechanical, plumbing, or just plain repairs like windows.  I am a good kid, just rotten at math and reading.  I want to have a good life and make a living?  What can a person who can’t make it in college do?  Not the right kind of smart

Dear Not, There all kinds of smart.  I suggest you check out technical training like welding, plumbing, heating and air conditioner, or engine repair.  There are plenty of technical jobs and an opportunity for anyone with drive, ambition, and the desire to succeed.  A good work ethic might be your greatest asset.  Don’t undervalue that.  If I’d had to depend on my math or computer skills, my children would have starved to death.  I used to wonder the same thing you do, knowing my greatest interest was reading.  I thought writing was too big a hill to climb.  Go for it!  Auntie Linda

Dear Auntie Linda, My mother interferes with everything we do, inserting herself into every situation.  “This is the way we always do it.”  We never have a holiday without them, even if my parents come from out of town.  She butts in on decisions about the children, even discipline, and how we manage our money. She even criticized the way my mother dressed in a mixed group after her last visit.  My mother was dressed perfectly appropriately, just not up to my MIL’s standards.  I’ve told my husband I need his support when his mother interferes but he refuses, blowing it off, saying, “That’s just how Mother is.  Don’t let it worry you.”  I am starting to hate my MIL and am furious at my husband.  How do I get him to support me.  Underdog

Dear Underdog, Tell your husband all you just said, letting him know you will no longer tolerate his mother’s interference.  Let him know in no uncertain terms that he must support you.  If he waffles, next time your MIL interferes feel free to say, John and I have agreed to……….. , and the subject is closed, isn’t it John.  If she persists, refuse to discuss it any further, even if you have to excuse yourselves, or tell her the visit is over, you will see her soon.   Auntie Linda