Dear Aunty, Everyone around me looks like they're doing fine. My friends post their vacations and their new cars. My family thinks I've made it. So I keep up. I show up to the dinners, I chip in for the gifts, and I say yes to things I can't afford, because I don't want anyone to know. The truth is that keeping up is what's keeping me broke. I'm in debt because I'm too proud and too ashamed to say, "I can't right now." I've never asked anyone for help in my life, and I do

Dear Aunty, I'm caught in the middle. My parents are getting older and they need me more every year, with doctor's appointments, medications, and help around the house. My children still need me too. I'm stretched between two generations, and there isn't enough of me or enough money to go around. What hurts the most is that my parents built more than I have. They worked hard and they had something to show for it. I worked just as hard, maybe harder, and I'm the first in m

Dear Aunty, I did everything they told me to do. I went to college, got the degree, and got the job. I bought the house. I tithe, I pray, and I show up for people. I believed that if I stayed faithful and worked hard, I would be okay. But I'm not okay. The student loans are still here, the house needs repairs I can't afford, and last month I checked my bank balance before I bought groceries. I pray, and it feels like my prayers hit the ceiling. I'm starting to wonder if I

On paper, I'm doing fine. I have a good job, and I make more money than my parents ever did. But every month, the money is gone before the next check comes We live paycheck to paycheck, rent, car, groceries, insurance, the kids' activities. I'm not buying anything fancy, and it still isn't enough. Nobody knows. At work, I'm the dependable one. At home, I'm the one who holds it all together. I smile, I say "I'm good," and then I lie awake at 2 a.m. doing math in my head. I'm t