Since reading “Great Expectations” by Dickens, the character Miss Havisham has represented a person who can’t let go of the past, nor the grievances they engender. She’d been left at the altar by a devious fraud that forever haunted her feelings on love. She left everything as it was on the day of her nuptial, including her wedding cake. Spiders and mice eventually ruled her home.

Dear John, I have been with my husband for 17 years. We met when I was 25 and he was 30.

November is Transgender Awareness Month, a month which, in the words of Heckin’ Unicorn (heckinunicorn.com), “is an annual celebration of transgender history and the transgender community. It is celebrated every November to commemorate the Transgender Day of Remembrance, which occurs on Nov. 20. The month is centered around educating people about the transgender community, raising visibility of transgender people, and advocating for their rights.”

Women battered at home are five times more likely to be murdered if there’s a gun in the house, so people under domestic violence restraining orders, pursuant to federal law, can’t have guns.

As co-owners of a boutique, my partner and I find the holiday season overwhelmingly busy. We're passionate about our business, but the increased workload takes a toll on the time we have for each other, often leaving us feeling more like business partners than life partners. How can we balance the seasonal rush with maintaining the intimacy and connection in our relationship?

Normally, when corresponding with someone new, I’ll sign off, “With best wishes.” The second e-mail is signed “With warm regards.” The third exchange moves to “With warmest regards,” and finally, I write, “Love, Brian.” This shakes some people up because the word “love” represents so many feelings, from “I like you a lot,” to “We’re at a very intimate level.”