My daughter has a friend whom she adores.
asserted
she → have → whom
I don’t connect much with this child, but I’ve learned from my older children it’s not about me and to keep my sentiments to myself.
asserted
it → connect → myself
Through all my children, over the years, I have happily made several new friends, the parents of their respective friends.
asserted
I → make → friends
I know they don’t approve of me or my lifestyle and they would rather their daughter not be friends with my daughter.
asserted
daughter → know → daughter
But I work at a radio station, dress most often in jeans and am prone to swearing and sounding more like a truck driver than a minister.
asserted
I → work → minister
I don’t smoke but I love a tasty, cold beer, and I’d rather wrap my hands around a cheeseburger than pick at a Cobb salad.
asserted
I → smoke → salad
I’m more concerned their judgment is going to affect my daughter than anything else, but is that ridiculous?
asserted
that → ’m → anything
You’re an adult and can live your life anyway you see fit, as long as you’re not hurting anyone.
asserted
you → ’re → anyone
From my POV, you sound like an involved parent with a not-so-mainstream job.
asserted
you → sound → job
Other than that, your lifestyle isn’t raising any alarm bells to me.
asserted
lifestyle → raise → me
I’d rather a (veggie) cheeseburger than a Cobb salad any day!
asserted
I → rather → salad
There’s no rule that states you must like every one of your children’s friends, or their parents.
asserted
you → ’ → friends
Can you honestly say your parents fell over backwards for every one of your friends?
asserted
parents → say → friends
It’s a bonus if you do.
asserted
you → ’ → ?
Be kind, courteous and friendly to the parents when you see them, and especially to the child.
asserted
you → see → child
As for your daughter, she loves you as you.
asserted
she → love → you
As she grows up and meets different people, she may look at you through a changing lens, but that’s healthy.
uncertain
that → grow → lens
It’s her growing, maturing and forming her own opinions.
asserted
her → ’ → opinions
Keep your relationship with her strong and close and neither of you will be affected by others’ judgments.
asserted
neither → keep → judgments
The world is full of judgmental people; teach your child to be confident in her own self and her beliefs and to have a tough skin.
Q
asserted
world → teach → skin
I have a crush on one of my work colleagues and I know I shouldn’t.
asserted
I → have → colleagues
She’s newly engaged, completely out of my league and just glows with happiness.
asserted
She → ’ → happiness
I’m all giddy when I’m around her and can barely string a sentence together.
asserted
I → ’m → sentence
Some of my friends at work have noticed and nudge me if they can, but it only helps momentarily.
asserted
it → notice → me
I feel like a teenager and I know I need to control myself.
asserted
I → feel → myself
This woman is new to our office, so she’s never known me without this soppy personality.
asserted
she → know → personality
How can I find my footing?
asserted
I → find → footing
This has been going on for a few months now.
asserted
This → go → months
You have got to get it together!
asserted
You → get → it
Do you need to be in the same room as this woman often?
asserted
you → need → woman
Do you have to work on projects together?
asserted
you → have → projects
Is there any way that, for the foreseeable future, you can avoid being in the same place at the same time?
asserted
you → avoid → time
You didn’t mention the type of office you work in, but hopefully you can quietly make yourself scarce when this woman is around until you’ve managed to get your feelings in check.
asserted
you → mention → check
She’s engaged to someone else.
asserted
She → ’ → someone
This isn’t a TV show where everyone is in love with everyone they can’t have and leaves the audience wanting more.
asserted
they → have → more
These are real people, with real lives, and you need to walk away sir.
asserted
you → need → lives
Are there features they can alter or even cancel?
asserted
they → alter → ?
Can those costs be reduced?
asserted
costs → reduce → ?
Are they using all the data they’re paying for on their cellphone plan?
asserted
they → use → plan
Have they shopped around for car or home insurance recently?
asserted
they → shop → insurance
…and 4 more, not listed.
The Aporia
