I know this is awkward, but when you laugh after almost everything you say, it ends up undermining you.

The sadness from reading letters that you know you can't help because it's a person who's in extremis and their problems are not soluble by an advice column.

If you think a caregiver has an active substance abuse problem, that person should never be entrusted with your child.

Never loan money to friends or family that you are not able to write off entirely.

I think it's helpful for kids to know that their parents weren't perfect, that they messed up and learned from their mistakes. So be open about some of your own struggles or express gratitude that your kids are taking advantage of the opportunities they have instead of squandering many of them, the way you did.

When you have a life milestone happen, it's good to step back and reassess the things you thought you knew about yourself.

Sometimes people have a wild past because they have an essentially wild nature, and that's how they plan to go through life. Sometimes such people settle into happy monogamy, and can be content there because they never have to wonder, "What did I miss?"