Author: The Elderly Aunt
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The Elderly Aunt, Contributor
Hey Elderly Aunt, how should I honor a dead loved one on their birthday?
Dear Elderly Aunt: My father died three years ago. I realized recently that I didn’t even acknowledge his birthday this year. I’m his last living descendent, so there’s no one for me to reminisce with. And I don’t live near his grave. But I feel my connection to him slipping away. Do you have any suggestions for how to honor the memory of someone who is gone on their birthday?
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Hey Elderly Aunt, how do I cut myself a break?
Dear Elderly Aunt: Like everyone, I’m sure, this last year has kind of warped my mind. Not being able to go many places has not only made me feel trapped, but it’s like it magnifies all the mistakes I make. I find myself at night scrutinizing everything I said to my children that day, how I handled each situation (especially those I handled poorly), and ruminating over every mistake I made (big or small) at work and at home. Was I that hard on myself before all this? I don’t recall that. Maybe I was and I just don’t remember how it felt before all this pandemic madness. What advice do you have or what advice have you relied on in your life to keep yourself grounded and cut yourself slack for being human?
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The Elderly Aunt’s answers about pandemic relentlessness … and sharing that last cookie
Hi Elderly Aunt, I am sooooooo over winter and pandemics. I have been watching so much Netflix that I’m tired of it, yet I don’t seem to have the attention span to finish a book. Any advice for someone like me who lives alone and is in a major rut or do I just need to suck it up until spring when I can at least go hiking again?
Hey Elderly Aunt, should I confront maskless shoppers?
Dear Elderly Aunt,
I wanted your take on this. When I see someone in the grocery store not wearing a mask, am I morally obligated to say something to them? Or will that just invite unnecessary conflict? What do you do when you see someone in public who should be wearing a mask and isn’t. Thanks for all your advice.
Hey Elderly Aunt, what should I do about my friend ghosting me?
Dear Elderly Aunt.
Love your advice. I didn’t think I would ever write a question, but I’ve been stewing on something. I had a friend. Well, we were friends. We almost took it to the next level, if you know what I mean. But then he took a job in another city almost exactly a year ago. We kept in touch, mostly through texts. About six weeks ago, he started ghosting me. Just no response. So I backed off. I sent him a DM last week and again, nothing. I miss him in my life, and he gave no hints about why he might cut me off. I’m not sure if he wanted us to get romantically involved and was disappointed we didn’t. Or maybe he’s in a relationship and doesn’t want to tell me? But it’s hard to ask him when he won’t respond, right? So what do you think I should do?
Hey Elderly Aunt, how do I support my teenaged son whose grades are slipping?
Dear Elderly Aunt: My 14-year-old son’s grades have slipped. While his grades aren’t awful, they’re not up to what he was earning before the pandemic. I regularly ask how he is keeping up with homework and online classes, but he tells me he has it under control. I work during the school day, so I can’t be there to supervise him and want to encourage him to be independent and solve his own problems. At the same time, I don’t want him to fall behind or damage his future prospects because of the backsliding in academic performance. What suggestions do you have for me, as a parent, to best keep him on task while allowing him to succeed or fail on his own?Sincerely, A concerned parent
Hey Elderly Aunt, how do I help my friend’s spouse stop the spread of misinformation?
Dear Elderly Aunt, How do I politely tell my fellow boomer friend that their spouse is posting obviously misunderstood information on Facebook? Case in point: dear friend’s spouse posts a news article from a reliable source — Headline: Biden raising taxes — while they obviously failed to read the article stating Biden wants to raise taxes on people making 4K or more.
The Elderly Aunt’s lessons of 2020 and hopes for 2021
Now that 2020 is done and dusted, the Elderly Aunt’s editor at The Citizen asked her to jot down her thoughts on what she learned slogging through it, followed by her expectations for what’s ahead in 2021.
