Ok so my brother (28) recently got a divorce. His ex-wife just walked out on him and our family with no explaination what so ever. She has been in our family for over 7 years (5 they dated/engaged and 2 were married) and has become a sister to me.

I feel like I need my parents' approval for the important decisions I make in my life. I am 24, just finished graduate school, and am currently looking for a job. I want to go to Ireland for St. Patty's day, however my parents think it is a bad idea because I don't have a job. I have the money and time for it, so I feel like now is the best time.

A year ago my best friend of ten years decided to cut ties with me, and she hasn't spoken to me since. Now, months later, she keeps sending my boyfriend, who she was never even friends with, pokes and friend requests on Facebook. He hasn't responded to any of these, and I've just been ignoring them.

I've had the same two best friends since I was 11. We are now in our third year of college (we all go to the same school) and I couldn't feel further apart from them. When we were younger, it was rare that a weekend passed that we didn't spend together. Now they both have boyfriends. And as soon as they started dating our time together slowly decreased.

My husband and I got married June 2009. Right after we got married we moved across the country and less than six months later we came back home. We moved again a year later and again a year after that. We're loving where we are now and have FINALLY unpacked all of our boxes.

So I just need opinions. Almost 2 and a half months ago I got married. My now husband and I were engaged for a year before we got married. So naturally I picked my best friend to be my maid of honor. At first she was really excited about it and we both were naturally, but it seemed the closer and closer that we got to the wedding date the more distant she and I became.

I've been out of college since 2006 and out of a long-term relationship for two years. I've recently become unemployed and had to move back home with my parents. When I was in that relationship, my ex basically sucked the "social life" out of me so I didn't have too many friends, and now I'm having the hardest time making NEW friends or rekindling old friendships.

I'm really worried about my best friend and I don't know what to do. She was supposed to meet me for lunch today and canceled at the last minute. That's really unlike her but she said she was sick. One of our good friends works with her and IMed me this afternoon asking if I wanted to grab a drink tomorrow night and that she was going to invite my best friend but she had called in sick to work.

Four days ago I got a call from my parents letting me know a relative was gravely ill. I couldn't come that night because I live very far away and it would have been dangerous to drive it in the middle of the night. The next morning I called my parents to see if I should go to the hospital. They said they were home and that I should go to the house first, and I did.

Let me start with a quick update. I am someone who through out high school was outgoing, and had a good amount of friends. But I made a few mistakes with a boyfriend and now I'm out of HS and working 6 days a week. My question/advise is with trying to make new friends, and I am finding it rather hard.