My wife is NOT a morning person. We both have to get up at 7am for work. She makes lunches for the kids and herself, and I make breakfast, which she doesn’t eat.

But she’s like a coiled dragon who we’re all afraid of upsetting.

One coffee, fresh air and an hour awake, she’s a lovely person. But our mornings are unpleasant for us all.

How can we work this out?

Tense Mornings

Good for you for seeing both sides of your wife and not just the morning dragon.

One much-used solution is suggesting she make those lunches in the evening, before cleaning the kitchen after dinner, so that they’re out of the way.

It gives her another half-hour of snoozing or slow-waking.

Also, have an automatic coffee-maker turn on just before her new wake-up time, and, if you can, take it to her - an act of pure love for the “lovely” person now rising.

Fresh air? Open a window just before you slip under covers at night or upon awaking. In cooler weather, have a humidifier in the room so no one wakes up parched from indoor heating.

Since she’s not a disagreeable person otherwise, these small extra steps are just another solution-based way of not letting a previous problematic scenario persist.

And the kids get a valuable lesson, too: Instead of being stuck with each other’s more annoying habits, families can find ways to overcome some of them.

My friend of 40 years and I used to hang around a lot, then grew apart, but we kept in touch.

Twenty years ago she quit drinking, joined AA, which was great, but she always had some mental health and then physical issues.

I helped her out when needed because she was alienated from her family and had no one for emergencies, etc.

We’re now in our 60s, she has poor health and frequent hospitalizations.  I'm one of her Helpline emergency contacts, run clothes to the hospital, drive her, cleaned her house, done her laundry, pet-sat, etc.

She’s named me her Power of Attorney over Personal Care and Finances, and executor of her estate.

Meanwhile, I've had two joint replacement surgeries in recent years, and I’m also single now.

She never visited me at the hospital or afterwards, never showed up at my mother's funeral, makes derogatory comments about my kids, my actions, my gifts, etc.

She also keeps "forgetting" that I have physical limitations too.

Recently, she commented that one day she’ll tell me what she really thinks of me, but it could ruin our friendship.

I’m angry, hurt and feeling used. I’ve been avoiding her but know I have to have the conversation. How do I handle it?

Fed Up Friend

Get to it. Tell her that you heard her negatively-slanted warning and if she thinks it’s wise to proceed, you have a few things to say yourself.

Since it already feels like half the damage is done, you should hear her out. Maybe there’s more kindness in there than you expect. Or not.

Then, respond without exaggerating about her not reciprocating support for you, despite very similar needs sometimes.

When enough has been aired, say that you’re willing to discuss what you both want to do about it. There may be some learning here for each of you.

Otherwise, accept that the friendship is no longer mutual or satisfying. You should both then decide whether you should remain as her POA and Executor.

Reader’s Commentary Regarding the woman who’s upset because her boyfriend’s still grieving his late wife’s death (Sept. 7):

“The boyfriend had been married to his late-wife for 20-plus years. She was his friend, companion, lover, mother of his children. She died of cancer. Their 20 years of life and living will be in his memories forever.

“He met this woman two and a half months later, now dating six months.

“And she expects him to be over his loss by now? He doesn’t call/text her as frequently? Maybe he needs some alone time to grieve.

“He doesn’t love me more than he loved her.”  What a childish attitude. Love isn’t ever quantified, it’s different for every person one is involved with.

“Every person is different, so the type of love involved is different.  Love also grows and deepens over time.

“The letter-writer needs to grow up. She’s going to be bringing up her children with a fairy-tale idea of relationships.”