DEAR HARRIETTE: My close friend and I are both actively seeking employment in the same city and industry. We both recently lost our jobs at the same company and have been looking for about two months now. We live in New York City and have a shared circle of friends we are networking with and asking around for open positions. It seems to have stirred up feelings of competition and tension between us. We’ve always been supportive of each other, but now that we’re vying for similar positions, it feels like a different dynamic has emerged.

Hunter, Aleksi Cabaniss, Jessica Cenami, Martha Miller, Carli Resendez, Jada Carr, Kendall Camblin, Carole Johnson, Kabel Betancourt, Stephanie Estala, Quinn Weedon, Courtney Calvert, Hannah Haskell, Katelee Lehew, Haley Adams, Austin Dupree, Sam Davis, Jevin Jefferson, Ryan Richert, Brent Andrews, Kaley Carlson, Gerardo Marrufo, Jesse Velasco, Chazz Schapansky, Zachary Caler, Blake Clanton and Grant Lee.

We cannot live without mothers. That seems like it should be an obvious point. But we have examples in recent culture and politics that suggest otherwise. The vice president of the United States recently visited an abortion clinic. As much as the issue of abortion has been important to the Democratic Party, no president or vice president had previously made such a visit. At his own abortion-rights rally, our Catholic president made the sign of the cross, as if to call upon God's blessings for more abortions.

DEAR HARRIETTE: I recently returned to the United States after studying abroad, and I have a whirlwind of emotions following my departure from the city that became my temporary home. I am sad to leave the friends I made from all over the world, and I’m also leaving behind a guy I connected with.