Dear Thelma: My boyfriend is a bum but I can’t leave him

A relationship with this guy is one-sided.

I love to work and I love to feel busy. Working gets me away from all the problems I’m about to explain to you now.

I’ve been in a relationship for six years, and in that time, my boyfriend has been fired, or abandoned his jobs. I have been with this kid since I was a young teenager and have always been the one with money in my pocket. If I wanted to go out with him, I’d buy the dinner and drinks. If I wanted to shop and he liked something and had no money, I would buy it for him.