Dear Rachel Week by Week

This might sound stupid, but I feel like there is nothing that I am good at. I have friends that are great writers, or singers or cooks, yet I can't think of anything that I can do that is unique...

I am the mother of a beautiful thirteen-year-old girl who always seemed to be quite confident and happy with herself. Recently, however, she has been spending so much time worried about her clothes and how she looks...and now she is trying to go out all the time now wearing makeup...

I've been dating a great guy for over a year now, and we are extremely happy together. The issue, however, is that I want to get married and he seems perfectly content with how things are right now. I agree that things are going really well, but I am ready for the next step and don't want to keep on dating...

I have always had a passion for art but never pursued it because it wasn't the practical thing to do. Rather, I got my law degree and have been a practicing lawyer for a number of years now. However, I hate my job and would love to do something creative. I know that in this economy leaving a well-paying job would be ridiculous...

Recently my husband and I have begun to increase our Jewish observance. From learning in our local Chabad house, we have begun trying to keep Shabbat and have started to eat only kosher food. We are hoping to very soon make our entire kitchen kosher as well. Our dilemma though pertains to schooling for our children...

I am the mother of three young children whom I absolutely adore. However, I feel like I am falling apart running after them. I grew up with a mother who was always stressed out and I don't want to be that to my children. Yet I don't know how to take care of all their needs and keep my home together...

Recently a newly married couple moved to our neighborhood and I wanted to make them feel welcome, so I brought them a cake and invited them over for dinner. They are extremely nice and friendly. The problem is that the woman now won't leave me alone...

I am incredibly close to my father, and he has always been a tremendous pillar of strength for me. However, I can't really say he has aged gracefully; and while he has always loved to protect and give to me, he doesn't really want any help in return...

My daughter is single, unemployed and just found out she is pregnant. She is 21 years old, a legal adult, and she has decided that she is going to have an abortion...

I am Jewish but was not really raised with any religious observance. Last year my sister went to Israel for a year abroad in college. The person who has returned is someone I don't even recognize. She calls herself a "baal tshuva"...If she is a religious Jew, will she be able to stay close with me?

I have a very strained relationship with my mother and I always have. Perhaps it is that we are so different, or maybe that we are so similar, but we are rarely able to spend time together without us both blowing up. I do love my mother but I have a hard time being around her...

I recently lost my job and am struggling terribly financially. Meanwhile, my best friend for many years got married not long ago to a very wealthy man. While I can barely pay rent, they are jet setting around the world and she is constantly telling me of all her new gifts and purchases...

This year for the first time we are hosting the family Passover seder. We were very excited to finally be able to have everyone in our home, until we found out that distant cousins, who we find very offensive, plan on coming...

I am very newly married and now that we are sharing a bank account, I see for the first time that my husband is really spending more money than he should be...

I am recently married to a wonderful man who has two teenage children from his first marriage. The problem is that they have decided they hate me, even though they don't know me, and they are really making my life miserable...

Years ago, when I was in high school, I did something very cruel to my best friend when we were fighting. It spiraled out of control and was far more damaging than I had ever intended. I feel like this is something that I will never come to peace with. Should I tell her what I did?

I am having a very hard time as the holidays approach with teaching my children the beauty of Chanukah and not having them see it as a Jewish x-mas. I know it has become somewhat of a tradition to give children gifts during Chanukah, but is this really a Jewish custom?

Recently, I started reconnecting with a lot of friends through a social networking site. At first it was great and exciting to see all of their pictures and find out what is happening with their lives. But the other day my ex-boyfriend tried to "friend" me, and my heart stopped...

My very close friend recently gave birth to her first baby, and has had a really hard time losing the pregancy weight. The problem is that she has started wearing clothes that are too small on her and really make her look terrible. I would love to somehow let her know, but I don't know how to address it...

My husband keeps telling me that Halloween is American tradition and that there is nothing wrong with our six-year-old trick or treating, but something just doesn’t feel right. I think whole holiday is weird and I don’t want my child dressed up as a skeleton and going to strangers' homes? Am I overreacting?