Dear Goldy:

 I have been dating my boyfriend off and on for almost a year. Just when things seem to be going great, something happens, we argue, break up – but then a month or two later, or even less, we decide to give it another try.

Dear Goldy:

I’ve been dating a long time. There were times I thought “this is it,” but the women didn’t think I was Mr. Right. I’m not here to force anyone to like me, but sometimes I think the women themselves don’t know what they want. They have a list of what they want in a husband, and if a guy has all of them, then they complain about the packaging. “He’s what I’m looking for, it’s just not him.” If you give them what they want, they still don’t know. How about if we all stop looking at what we want and start looking at what’s in front of us?

When I run into friends in the neighborhood, it’s usually in one of the grocery stores. When they ask, “Where’ve you been?” – because they haven’t seen me in a while – I always say I’m either working, home, or here shopping. The last time an encounter such as this happened, instead of catching up on each other’s lives, my friend asked if all the letters I publish and respond to are real. When I was asked that by an individual I was meeting with for work, then I knew I had to write this specific column.

Dear Goldy:

It sounds weird to begin a letter like this, but I will. I’m a Jew and I’m not embarrassed by our mitzvos or minhagim. When my co-workers said I was too young and never had the chance to live or be young and crazy when I got engaged, I took it all with a smile. They didn’t understand that we get engaged and married young. We’re married with kids by the time they figure out they want to settle down. Do they know something we don’t? Is it better to get married when we’re older? Shouldn’t we know who we are before “I am” is “forced” to become “us,” and before “us” becomes a family?

Dear Goldy:

My sister called last night and told me to get my dancing shoes ready because her daughter Raizy became a kallah. I was shocked, surprised, happy…and confused. A few weeks ago, my sister said that Raizy, her eldest, was going to start dating. I laughed and told her she better be ready for the long haul. Three out of my four children are, bli ayin ha’ra, married. I know the ups and downs and craziness that goes on.