Dear Abby: My husband is still in touch with his ex-wife. He has some guilt about their past, which led him to offer her a sizable divorce settlement.
She helps him financially while he attends medical school, and he feels compelled to support her whenever she needs money.
Recently, even though she didn’t ask, he learned from her sister that she filed for bankruptcy, and so he gave her a significant amount.
When he first mentioned this, I told him no. If it were for medical expenses, I might have understood, but that wasn’t the case.
A few days later, he brought up the idea again, saying he went to her house and handed her a check.
He knows this is really affecting me. He presented three options, and while I appreciate his willingness to help her, I’m still feeling conflicted about it.
I love my husband, but he tends to be overly generous. He usually gives me what I want—though I sometimes think it’s too much—but this situation is different, and I’m unsure how to handle it.
He says he loves me but insists on assisting her. What should I do? – Current wife in Texas
Dear Wife: If you love your husband, perhaps it’s worth trying to appreciate his generosity. At the same time, if you feel like his kindness is taking away from what you need, you might want to talk to someone about it, especially since Texas follows community property laws.
Dear Abby: There’s a grocery store near my home that’s gone through some major renovations. I’ve shopped there for as long as I can remember.
Before, I’d always enter through the door closest to me and leave through whichever was nearest to my items. But with the recent changes, there’s now only one entrance and one exit. They’ve even put up gates to prevent shoppers from using the “wrong” doors.
I’m currently injured and facing surgery, making it hard for me to navigate the store and grab things near the designated “exit only” door. I imagine seniors feel similarly.
I understand stores try to drive sales with these changes, but this isn’t very customer-friendly. Good service matters, and without customers, businesses can fail.
Please consider sending a message to the grocery store and urging them to rethink their setup. – Angry and loyal shoppers in Ohio
Dear Shopper: I’ll make an effort to reach out, though I doubt they’ll be responsive. It’s clear many shoppers are feeling the same frustrations you are.
In my city, different branches of supermarkets have adopted similar restructuring ideas. It seems management thinks that by completely rearranging the store, they can boost sales, but it often makes it harder for customers to find what they need.
I’ve started shopping elsewhere, so I can’t say how it’s been received in those stores, but if you have that option, I’d recommend it.
