Dear Rebbetzin Weinberg,

I have been friends with someone since our elementary school days. Now we both have married children and several grandchildren. We have maintained our friendship, being closer some years than others, depending on what was going on in our lives. But it has always been a very solid friendship.

Now I sense a change in her. My husband and I have, b”H, seen success in our parnassa, especially over the last five years. They have not. While we have not drastically changed our lifestyle, we’ve been able to buy nicer clothing, better furnishings, etc. When my friend comes over, I feel she looks at these things with a jealous eye. Her attitude seems to be: You have everything, I have nothing. I don’t believe I’m a showy or boastful person, but it’s impossible to hide our good fortune. From small comments that this friend makes, I sense her tremendous jealousy.

Dear Rebbetzin Weinberg,

We hosted an informal meal for an organization in our home. I assumed that only adults would come, but some people apparently thought otherwise and brought their children. The children were noisy and disruptive, and one mother wanted her child to play with the toys, which had been carefully put away for this occasion. When I asked her to keep the child with her, she was quite insulted. I have a feeling this problem will come up again in the future. Was I wrong? How should I have handled the situation?

Dear Rebbetzin Weinberg,

Thank you for your column; it’s my favorite part of the WWW I am writing to you about unsolicited advice (and opinions) given to me by my parents and in-laws. They are all very wonderful people, whom I deeply admire and respect. However, I would like to have my turn to build my home, the way I’ve always hoped, together with my wonderful husband, b’ezras Hashem. I don’t want to be told “you should…” or “I think…” regarding the way I raise my kids and develop my home. I know our parents are well meaning – so much so that I bet they would never fathom that they interfere with their children’s marriages. But they do. And it really bothers me.

Dear Rebbetzin Weinberg,

I have been married for 12 years. I’m not exactly unhappy, but I would say I am far from being happy. When we got married, my husband seemed more energetic and personable. Now, we have very little to say to each other. A typical conversation might be “Where are my clean shirts,” or “How’s `Moishy’ doing in school?”

My husband is basically a good man and is kind to us. He supports us adequately, and I work part time for my own satisfaction, but we have grown apart. There is just this crushing boredom. I have said, let’s go

As parents, you surely want the best for your children. You focus tremendous amounts of energy on trying to provide the ideal nurturing environment for them. That is why it can be so frustrating when you see your child struggling and you don’t know how – or if – you can help.

  Whether your kids share with you freely or not, they may not be able to articulate what they really need, as they do not fully understand it themselves. But if you were able to get into your child’s head, here are five the things they would probably

Who am I? I am a writer, business man, husband, and father. Married for many wonderful years, I helped raise our two children, though I give my wife the real credit for doing a wonderful job. Today, baruch Hashem, I am a proud grandparent shepping much nachas. Chasdei Hashem!
Now for what I am not: I am not a social worker or certified financial counselor. Even so, hardly a day goes by that I am not sought out by persons in the community to give eitzos, advice, on life or financial situations.
Everyone Needs Advice
Working as a volunteer and