DEAR HARRIETTE: Now that my siblings and I are “orphans” – both of our parents have died – we have only one another left. This is proving to be challenging. All of our old childhood behaviors are coming back, and I feel stuck in the past. My older sister is really pushing my buttons, and I am finding it difficult to interact well with her without feeling constantly dissed or overly defensive.
My husband, Peter, doesn’t believe me, but I didn’t always dress up.
The Legislature has officially adjourned from the 2025 session. It was an incredibly productive year as we worked to pass policies that will improve the lives of Oklahomans and move our state forward. Most importantly, we passed a balanced budget for Fiscal Year 2026. The final agreement includes flat budgets for most state agencies, with some seeing slight budget cuts. The budget agreed to by the Senate, House and governor maintains core agency services and leaves our state savings in a strong position at $3.5 billion, ensuring we can weather future shortfalls, while also making strategic and significant investments.
DEAR HARRIETTE: How do I stop settling for emotionally unavailable people just because I’m afraid of being alone? I’ve noticed a pattern in my dating life. All the men I go out with seem to have a few things in common: They refuse to commit, they’re always “too busy” and they rarely put in the effort to truly get to know me or make me feel valued. At first, they show just enough interest to keep me hooked, but eventually I end up feeling like I’m the one doing all the emotional labor. It’s exhausting, and honestly, it hurts. The worst part is, I see the red flags early on, but I stay anyway because a part of me fears that if I let go, there won’t be anyone else. I don’t want to keep choosing people who treat me like an afterthought, but I don’t know how to break out of this cycle. How can I stop mistaking breadcrumbs for love and start believing I deserve more? – Seeking True Love DEAR SEEKING TRUE LOVE: Make a list of the traits you value in a relationship. What do you want from a partner? Be specific about the qualities that make you happy and what you do not like. Based upon past experience, recall situations that bothered you. What were the warning signs that something wasn’t right? As you meet other men, observe their behaviors. Notice what you like and what you don’t. Take your time getting to know someone. Be honest about what you want in a relationship, and ask what he wants as well. Then watch to see how the person behaves. Take your time.
ASK THE DOCTORS
The quote “Jewish students were excluded from portions of the UCLA campus because they refused to denounce their faith,” is from a judge’s order, but that’s not my interpretation. “This fact is so unimaginable and so abhorrent to our constitutional guarantee of religious freedom,” Judge Mark C. Scarsi wrote.
CLINTON’S HISTORY 10, 20, 30 AND 40 YEARS AGO
DEAR HARRIETTE: My sister-in-law “Kate” worked for me for several years.
Dear Doctors: I am 40 years old and the father of three boys. My wife and I don’t plan on having more children.
Here is a basic question about “Original Sin,” the new book detailing the White House’s attempt to hide former President Joe Biden’s in-plain-sight mental and physical decline: Why is it having such an impact? Sure, the subject – an intermittently disabled president – is hugely important. But on the other hand, everybody knew, or should have known, that Biden was an intermittently disabled president.