My boyfriend won’t stop texting his exes

Dear Abby!

Lifestyle

By Dear Abby!

March 13, 2023 | 03:00

DEAR ABBY! My boyfriend and I have been together for six years. We are both divorced. We plan to get married in six months. A perfect partner, except for one thing. Every holiday morning, he jumps out of bed and takes his phone with him to the bathroom. There he messages his ex-wife and ex-girlfriend. He feels like wishing them a happy holiday. That hurts my feelings.

I don’t see why it’s so important to contact them. They seem to be on your mind every holiday, maybe every day. I don’t know if I should get married. I think he still loves his ex-wife. Help me please. — SUSPECT IN PENNSYLVANIA

DEAR SUSPECT! I’m guessing you’ve discussed this with your boyfriend at least once in the past six years. It means knowing that when you jump out of bed, grab your phone, and hide in the bathroom to text your exes, you’re freaking out.

If you truly believe that you were still in love with your ex-wife, do not marry this person. Since the two of you intend to move on to the next level (engagement), it’s time to seek premarital counseling. If so, you’ll discuss topics like money, parenting, and anything he does that makes you uncomfortable (and vice versa). With its help, you can avoid conflict if you are already married.

DEAR ABBY! I live in a small town with 10,000 inhabitants. There is almost nothing to do here. There is a skating rink, a cinema and a bowling alley. Since bowling goes weekly in a league, I joined one.

Our bowling center was bought by a former professional bowler. She formed a team of herself, her fiance, her son and a friend, all of whom are excellent bowlers. His son scores 200 goals in every game. Since they own the place, they get unlimited practice. Lady Pro has taught them everything she knows. The rest of us have no chance of winning a game against them. Should I just ignore it and treat it as a night out and accept that when we are fighting the ‘big guns’ as they have been referred to we can expect to lose?

It is true that it is not about winning; it’s about having fun. But it’s frustrating to know the result before the night even starts. There are in other leagues. Maybe I should join one? If we all go out one by one, I’m sure they’ll figure out what’s going on. Any advice? — AVERAGE BOWLER IN TENNESSEE

DEAR BOWLER! Talk to the new owner of the bowling alley and tell him how you and the other players feel. This is your livelihood and you should know that it is time to start a new league of less experienced bowlers like you. If she’s a good businesswoman, she’ll be open to it. If not, you and the others should take your business elsewhere.

Dear Abby was founded by Abigail Van Buren, aka Jeanne Phillips, and her mother, Pauline Phillips. Contact Dear Abby at DearAbby.com or PO Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069.