Manners Matter: Ex Etiquette

Dear Mary Pat,

My ex-boyfriend is married and he texts me and calls me frequently. He is the one who ended our relationship; why he can’t cut the ties with me? I really don’t want to hear about problems with his wife and I certainly don’t want to go down memory lane with him either. I’ve said it’s probably best if we don’t communicate, but he said that he really cares about me and can’t imagine losing me as a friend. What should I do?

Signed,

Confused

Juddville, Wis.

Dear Confused,

This is easy. Stop communicating with him. No exceptions. Block his calls if necessary. Maybe he has regrets when it comes to your relationship. Maybe he has issues with his wife. Maybe he thinks he’s being a nice guy by still wanting to be your friend. Whatever his thinking is, you don’t have to respond to it. His actions are completely inappropriate. How do you think his wife would feel if she knew you were still in touch?

I also suspect that by you keeping the line open (until now!) you’re preventing yourself from really moving on. Time to leave your ex in the past where he belongs.

Good luck,

Mary Pat