
Dear Sugar,
My boyfriend just graduated from college last Spring and is taking some time off. Right now he's taking community college classes and deciding what direction he wants to go with his life (grad school, career, etc). His parents are more than fine with supporting him — he's worked really hard, and deserves a break — so he can avoid jumping into something he hates.

It's scary how many
wildfires we seem to have in California these days. The tragedies always make me think about how awful it would be to go through a fire, and I start to ponder the hypothetical question of what I would save if my house were burning.
My mom often said that if she could only save one thing, it would be our family photos — though that's not as relevant today in the age of digital photography.

The other day my friend told me that during her fitness class, she suddenly and without cause just burst into tears, forcing her to leave early, and obviously making her feel very embarrassed. When I asked her what had happened, she said she didn’t know. She wasn’t dealing with PMS, but it was as if at that moment she just couldn't hold in the tears.

Even if ending a relationship is a relief, leaving a person or being left by someone can come with feelings of sadness and longing, which is probably why so many couples hook up after they’ve broken up. But there is a flipside to this: some people aren’t ready to let go of their bad feelings.
A friend of mine, in post-breakup mode, says every day is a battle not to call her ex.

If falling in love makes people deliriously happy, then getting your heart broken is emotionally shattering. And while there may be a lesson to be learned, truthfully I can’t really think of anything good about a broken heart. But alas, it is a part of life.

This past weekend I asked you all to share a moment in your life when you felt as if you'd
hit rock bottom. There were some amazing stories, and it was so inspiring to hear how some of you had made it through all the stronger. But I also feel for those of you in the midst of a low point right now, so I want to take this opportunity to share some of my advice for how to cope with such a difficult time.

I often hear people refer to “hitting rock bottom” as the impetus they needed to pull themselves back up to the top again. But since we all come from different backgrounds and deal with our own set of struggles, the notion of rock bottom differs for everyone. And even though being in that dark place is never fun, often the changes that come out of it help shape the direction of life for the better.

Dear Sugar,
I am currently dating my daughter's father. We had a lot of new-couple issues at first, but just as soon as I was sure we had worked through the kinks, I found out that he is going to move overseas for a year. I wanted to spend as much time as possible with him before he left, but it seems like he doesn't have the same desire.

When you’re in a relationship, one person’s mood undoubtedly affects the other’s. If you’re angry, he’s going to be worried until he knows what’s wrong, and if he’s sad, you’re going to be concerned until he starts to perk up. But while being in a relationship does make moods interdependent, it also gives you an automatic cheer-up buddy — the person who will pull out all the stops to get you smiling again.

Dear Sugar,
I really feel like I am at the end of my rope. A year ago, I met the man I thought I would spend the rest of my life with. We didn't become official until this February, but since then his ex has been trying to contact him nonstop even though he's told her to leave him alone.