Dear Queenie,
I do not have any problems with my wife, she is just wonderful. It’s one of her friends I just can’t stand. She is totally self-centered and expects my wife to baby-sit her kids whenever she can’t find another sitter, which is a lot of the time, and put up with lots of other nonsense.
My wife knows how I feel about this woman, but she says this friend needs her and she won’t turn her away. I have tried to be polite, but that friend is just too much to take.
Queenie, what advice do you have for me?—Fed up
Dear Fed up,
Your wife is entitled to choose her friends, just as you are, and you are under no obligation to like the same people your wife likes, although it is nice for both of you when that happens.
If you dislike this woman so much, try to have as little contact with her as possible. When your wife goes to see her or babysit her children you do not have to go with her. When the friend comes to your home to visit your wife, go out and run errands or visit a friend(s) of your own.
And keep reminding yourself that, as the saying goes, patience is a virtue and virtue is its own reward.
