DEAR HARRIETTE: Our daughter wants to go away for a study-abroad program this summer. She is in high school, and her only real experience being away from home is the occasional sleepover and sometimes spending a week with her grandparents. Yes, my husband and I are very protective of her. Plus, she hasn’t expressed interest in summer camp or other sleepaway activities, so they haven’t happened. Some of her other friends have done these things.
• The shocking statistic that humans – on average – have enough microplastics in our bodies to make a small spoon is motivation enough to do anything to avoid ingesting them. Here’s tip No. 1 of seven this week to help reduce your microplastic consumption: Vacuum on a regular basis in your home. All home furnishing items made from synthetic materials shed over time, so microplastics can come from drapes, rugs, upholstered furniture and throw blankets. These items should be vacuumed on a regular basis. Better yet, avoid synthetics and use all-natural fibers for your home decor.
DEAR HARRIETTE: I bought property a few years ago. I’m not happy about how my realtor operated during that initial transaction, but I kept working with her. She has now asked me to share her details on my personal social pages to help her get more business. Honestly, I wouldn’t recommend her if someone asked me privately, so I don’t care to promote her publicly.
The bad thing about living in a new place is that I don’t know anyone. The good thing about living in a new place is that I meet new people.
Dear Doctors: Has there been any progress in figuring out how to treat long COVID? I have been dealing with the symptoms for two years, and my doctor seems to have given up. Is anyone even doing research anymore? I feel as though we are being forgotten.
DEAR HARRIETTE: I am the mother of a wonderful, bright and kindhearted 10-year-old daughter who is autistic.
DEAR HARRIETTE: My youngest sister is in the process of applying and being accepted to colleges – for the second time. She’s had some trouble in the past in terms of staying focused and prioritizing her degree and her education, and now as she’s applying to get back into college, she’s constantly consulting her friends. I won’t pass judgment on any of her friends because I don’t really know their track records all that well, but I worry that she is more concerned with going to the same school as friends than with using college as an opportunity to learn new things, meet new people and explore herself more. Having friends going through the same things as you can be great, but I don’t want her to be too dependent on others or use friends as a crutch out of fear. I don’t want to come off as controlling. I just don’t want to see her get distracted from another great opportunity. – College Influences DEAR COLLEGE INFLUENCES: Talk to your sister more, and offer to help her through the application process. Ask her what she wants to study and what she wants to do with her life. Encourage her to select schools that specialize in her interests as her top priority. In this way, she can prepare herself for her future.
Dear Doctors: What do you know about a study that says aerobics might be good for slowing down the progression of Alzheimer’s disease? I’ve read that being active helps your memory, but how would it affect an actual disease?
DEAR HARRIETTE: I love beaches and sandy vacations, but somehow I also have a wild fear of deep waters. I don’t think I had ever come to that realization before – probably because I’m never too far from shore and I’m tall – which also makes me feel embarrassed about the whole thing.
Hello, dear readers, and welcome to the monthly letters column. We are well into the third month of the new year, and for some of us – the data say it’s probably most of us – the resolutions we made on Jan. 1 have already fallen by the wayside. We have been hearing from readers asking for encouragement, and have also had readers sharing tips that are helping them stay on course. We’ll have a resolution reset column coming soon. And now, onward to the mail.