1 00:00:01,080 --> 00:00:03,640 Speaker 1: It is time now for today's Strawberry Letter, and if 2 00:00:03,640 --> 00:00:06,880 Speaker 1: you need advice on relationships, work, sex, parenting, and more, 3 00:00:07,200 --> 00:00:10,360 Speaker 1: please submit your Strawberry Letter to stefarfm dot com by 4 00:00:10,360 --> 00:00:14,640 Speaker 1: clicking submit Strawberry Letter. Okay, we could be reading your 5 00:00:14,760 --> 00:00:17,480 Speaker 1: letter live on the air, just like we're gonna read 6 00:00:17,520 --> 00:00:20,840 Speaker 1: this one right here, right now, and you just never know. 7 00:00:20,920 --> 00:00:23,680 Speaker 1: It could be yours. It's a writer, could be yours. 8 00:00:23,760 --> 00:00:25,439 Speaker 1: Buckle up and hold on tight. We got it for 9 00:00:25,640 --> 00:00:30,360 Speaker 1: you here it is Strawberry Letter. Wow, thank you, your 10 00:00:30,440 --> 00:00:36,120 Speaker 1: voice sounds great. Nephew subject, he won't buy her anything else. 11 00:00:36,600 --> 00:00:39,320 Speaker 1: Dear Stephen Shirley, I'm a forty nine year old single 12 00:00:39,360 --> 00:00:42,080 Speaker 1: mother of a twenty three year old man. He's been 13 00:00:42,120 --> 00:00:44,559 Speaker 1: in a relationship for four years and the girl is 14 00:00:44,640 --> 00:00:47,920 Speaker 1: nice enough, but I had hoped he would find someone 15 00:00:47,960 --> 00:00:50,920 Speaker 1: else by now. I'm an administrator and a high ranking 16 00:00:50,960 --> 00:00:54,480 Speaker 1: official at my job, and I offered my son's girlfriend 17 00:00:54,480 --> 00:00:58,200 Speaker 1: and entry level position to get her some professional skills. 18 00:00:58,720 --> 00:01:02,240 Speaker 1: She's twenty two years old and she's never had a job, 19 00:01:02,600 --> 00:01:05,759 Speaker 1: and she relies on my son to take care of her. 20 00:01:06,160 --> 00:01:09,120 Speaker 1: He pays her car note, which is only three hundred 21 00:01:09,120 --> 00:01:12,280 Speaker 1: and forty five dollars a month, and he buys her 22 00:01:12,360 --> 00:01:17,400 Speaker 1: things like they're married. She tries to sneak and spend 23 00:01:17,400 --> 00:01:20,039 Speaker 1: the night over at my house, but I have made 24 00:01:20,240 --> 00:01:22,400 Speaker 1: her get up in the middle of the night and 25 00:01:22,480 --> 00:01:25,160 Speaker 1: get out of my house. If my son moved out, 26 00:01:25,280 --> 00:01:27,640 Speaker 1: it will keep me out of his business. But since 27 00:01:27,640 --> 00:01:31,440 Speaker 1: he's under my roof, everything has grown behind. Does is 28 00:01:31,480 --> 00:01:34,200 Speaker 1: my business. I found a bunch of gift bags and 29 00:01:34,280 --> 00:01:37,000 Speaker 1: boxes in the hall closet by his bedroom, and he 30 00:01:37,080 --> 00:01:39,560 Speaker 1: said he had to hide them from his girlfriend because 31 00:01:39,600 --> 00:01:43,520 Speaker 1: those are her Christmas presents that he's been buying since August. 32 00:01:43,920 --> 00:01:46,760 Speaker 1: That sent me into a frenzy and I told him 33 00:01:46,800 --> 00:01:49,240 Speaker 1: he's treating her like a wife and he needs to 34 00:01:49,280 --> 00:01:52,840 Speaker 1: propose and make an official He said he's not even 35 00:01:52,920 --> 00:01:56,360 Speaker 1: sure if he wants to marry her because she cheated 36 00:01:56,440 --> 00:02:01,680 Speaker 1: on him last month with a friend, okay, with a friend. 37 00:02:02,240 --> 00:02:04,800 Speaker 1: I lost it and told him he won't buy her 38 00:02:04,880 --> 00:02:07,680 Speaker 1: anything else, and I told him I was canceling his 39 00:02:07,760 --> 00:02:11,320 Speaker 1: credit card. This girl is playing him and he's buying 40 00:02:11,360 --> 00:02:14,000 Speaker 1: her affection. He won't have the means to buy her 41 00:02:14,040 --> 00:02:16,960 Speaker 1: anything else, and we'll see if she sticks around. I 42 00:02:17,040 --> 00:02:19,360 Speaker 1: might not know how to raise a man, but I 43 00:02:19,400 --> 00:02:23,160 Speaker 1: will not raise a fool. He's too old to be 44 00:02:23,200 --> 00:02:26,120 Speaker 1: this gullible. Now that I took away his credit card, 45 00:02:26,200 --> 00:02:28,800 Speaker 1: he's not talking to me. How can I show him 46 00:02:29,080 --> 00:02:33,359 Speaker 1: that I'm not the enemy here? Well, Mom, I'm with 47 00:02:33,440 --> 00:02:37,280 Speaker 1: you one hundred percent on this. Please know that you 48 00:02:37,360 --> 00:02:40,160 Speaker 1: did the right thing. Don't second guess yourself, don't change 49 00:02:40,160 --> 00:02:42,760 Speaker 1: your mind, don't get soft hearted and turn his credit 50 00:02:42,760 --> 00:02:44,960 Speaker 1: card back on none of that. I like what you 51 00:02:45,000 --> 00:02:47,119 Speaker 1: said about maybe not knowing how to raise a man, 52 00:02:47,240 --> 00:02:49,560 Speaker 1: but you are definitely not going to raise a fool. 53 00:02:49,919 --> 00:02:52,560 Speaker 1: This girl is playing him. You're right about that. You 54 00:02:52,760 --> 00:02:56,480 Speaker 1: offered her a job so she could get some professional skills. 55 00:02:56,520 --> 00:02:59,600 Speaker 1: What's wrong with that? She turned that down? She obviously 56 00:02:59,639 --> 00:03:02,680 Speaker 1: doesn't want to work. That prove she's not trying to 57 00:03:02,720 --> 00:03:06,160 Speaker 1: help or do something on her own. He pays her car, note, 58 00:03:06,160 --> 00:03:10,400 Speaker 1: he buys her gifts, etc. She's a user who's getting 59 00:03:10,400 --> 00:03:14,079 Speaker 1: everything she can out of your young son, and she 60 00:03:14,120 --> 00:03:17,920 Speaker 1: can't even be faithful. She cheated on him with his friend, 61 00:03:18,639 --> 00:03:22,040 Speaker 1: So this is just wrong right here. She's followed for 62 00:03:22,200 --> 00:03:25,799 Speaker 1: doing that, and not to mention disrespecting your household all 63 00:03:25,840 --> 00:03:28,560 Speaker 1: along by trying to sneak and stay there overnight. So 64 00:03:28,639 --> 00:03:31,080 Speaker 1: you did what any real parent would have done. You 65 00:03:31,160 --> 00:03:35,400 Speaker 1: made her lead. Your son is matt Yeah okay, and 66 00:03:35,480 --> 00:03:37,760 Speaker 1: he can't see it now, but he will get over 67 00:03:37,800 --> 00:03:40,640 Speaker 1: it and thank you later because you stop this young 68 00:03:40,720 --> 00:03:44,480 Speaker 1: lady from taking everything from him. So you don't have 69 00:03:44,560 --> 00:03:48,400 Speaker 1: to show him that you're not the enemy, you're not 70 00:03:48,480 --> 00:03:51,480 Speaker 1: his friend, you're his parent. Just keep doing you. He'll 71 00:03:51,520 --> 00:03:54,600 Speaker 1: figure it out after she dumps him, and she will 72 00:03:54,720 --> 00:03:57,760 Speaker 1: because he can't spend money on her like that anymore. 73 00:03:58,160 --> 00:04:00,200 Speaker 1: Right now, he should be glad that you still let 74 00:04:00,280 --> 00:04:02,760 Speaker 1: him stay in the house. He's a grown man doing 75 00:04:02,800 --> 00:04:05,600 Speaker 1: grown man things, but living with his mama. So give 76 00:04:05,680 --> 00:04:08,360 Speaker 1: him a deadline. Tell him to start saving his money, 77 00:04:08,600 --> 00:04:10,600 Speaker 1: because it's time for him to be a real man 78 00:04:10,960 --> 00:04:16,640 Speaker 1: and get his own place. Steve, Well, this whole thing 79 00:04:17,080 --> 00:04:21,360 Speaker 1: is connected to one major problem, and I'm gonna tell 80 00:04:21,400 --> 00:04:28,159 Speaker 1: you what it is. Your boy is whipped. He's whipped. 81 00:04:29,440 --> 00:04:32,279 Speaker 1: See there's no mention of this in the letter, and 82 00:04:32,400 --> 00:04:35,279 Speaker 1: this is the part that we're dancing around. But I'm 83 00:04:35,320 --> 00:04:39,960 Speaker 1: not your boy whip whipped. And you know what I'm 84 00:04:39,960 --> 00:04:45,680 Speaker 1: meaning quipped by it. It has him quipped, now, we 85 00:04:45,800 --> 00:04:49,039 Speaker 1: got a couple of things wrong. I'm a forty nine 86 00:04:49,120 --> 00:04:51,920 Speaker 1: year old single mother of a twenty three year old man. 87 00:04:52,080 --> 00:04:54,200 Speaker 1: I don't know what to cut off point is where 88 00:04:54,200 --> 00:04:56,960 Speaker 1: you get to quit saying you're a single parent. But 89 00:04:57,160 --> 00:04:59,680 Speaker 1: once he's twenty three and he working, you can stop 90 00:04:59,720 --> 00:05:02,560 Speaker 1: calling and yourself a single parent because at twenty three 91 00:05:02,560 --> 00:05:05,120 Speaker 1: he should be taking care of himself. So you're no 92 00:05:05,240 --> 00:05:07,520 Speaker 1: longer a single parent because you don't have to take 93 00:05:07,600 --> 00:05:11,640 Speaker 1: care of him anymore, or you're not supposed to. He's 94 00:05:11,680 --> 00:05:14,160 Speaker 1: been in a relationship for four years and the girl 95 00:05:14,279 --> 00:05:16,880 Speaker 1: is nice enough, but I hope he'd find somebody else 96 00:05:16,920 --> 00:05:20,440 Speaker 1: like that because you don't like the girl. You're an 97 00:05:20,480 --> 00:05:23,400 Speaker 1: administrator and a high ranking official on your job, and 98 00:05:24,120 --> 00:05:26,719 Speaker 1: offer this girlfriend the entry level position so she could 99 00:05:26,760 --> 00:05:30,039 Speaker 1: get some skills. She's twenty two years old, she's never 100 00:05:30,120 --> 00:05:32,800 Speaker 1: had a job and relies on the son to take 101 00:05:32,800 --> 00:05:36,360 Speaker 1: care of I can see why your years are pent back, mom, 102 00:05:36,400 --> 00:05:38,080 Speaker 1: because you don't want to see your son get you. 103 00:05:39,160 --> 00:05:42,520 Speaker 1: But in the words of Bill Withers, oh you just 104 00:05:42,680 --> 00:05:47,680 Speaker 1: keep on using me until you use me up. My 105 00:05:47,800 --> 00:05:52,159 Speaker 1: friends feel as their appointed duty. They keep trying to 106 00:05:52,160 --> 00:05:54,880 Speaker 1: tell me that all you want to do is you 107 00:05:56,040 --> 00:06:01,400 Speaker 1: And for my answer, yeah, gonna on and use me up. 108 00:06:01,520 --> 00:06:05,919 Speaker 1: Because if it feels this good getting you all, you 109 00:06:06,040 --> 00:06:10,120 Speaker 1: just keep on using me until you use me up. 110 00:06:10,839 --> 00:06:14,920 Speaker 1: That's the problem. They wrote a song about it, Beal Wither. 111 00:06:16,040 --> 00:06:20,919 Speaker 1: Your son is whipped now. You want to help your song, 112 00:06:21,320 --> 00:06:23,200 Speaker 1: But the only way to help him is you've got 113 00:06:23,240 --> 00:06:27,160 Speaker 1: to stop enabling him, and you've taken a position to 114 00:06:27,200 --> 00:06:30,080 Speaker 1: do that. When we come back, I will talk to 115 00:06:30,120 --> 00:06:33,080 Speaker 1: you about this, a couple of things you can do 116 00:06:33,279 --> 00:06:36,640 Speaker 1: and what he needs to do. He's not gonna listen 117 00:06:37,200 --> 00:06:40,839 Speaker 1: because he's whipped. All right, Hang on, Steve, and we'll 118 00:06:40,839 --> 00:06:43,760 Speaker 1: have for two of your response coming up to today's 119 00:06:43,800 --> 00:06:46,440 Speaker 1: Strawberry letter at twenty three minutes after the hour of 120 00:06:46,480 --> 00:06:50,039 Speaker 1: the subject he won't buy her anything else. We'll get 121 00:06:50,040 --> 00:06:56,240 Speaker 1: back into it right after this you're listening show. Come on, Steve, 122 00:06:56,560 --> 00:07:00,360 Speaker 1: let's recap today's strawberry letter. The subject is he won't 123 00:07:00,400 --> 00:07:04,040 Speaker 1: buy her anything else. You got a boy that's whipped, 124 00:07:05,120 --> 00:07:08,800 Speaker 1: whipped by that thing. He can't see it right now 125 00:07:08,839 --> 00:07:11,200 Speaker 1: because he just whipped you. Forty nine year old single 126 00:07:11,240 --> 00:07:13,840 Speaker 1: mother of a twenty three year old man twenty three 127 00:07:13,880 --> 00:07:16,600 Speaker 1: year old man that works, so that takes you out 128 00:07:16,640 --> 00:07:20,440 Speaker 1: of the single parent category. Once a boy reaches a 129 00:07:20,480 --> 00:07:24,680 Speaker 1: certain age and is working, you're no longer a single mother. Okay, 130 00:07:25,000 --> 00:07:27,720 Speaker 1: take that off your place. He's a relationship for four 131 00:07:27,800 --> 00:07:29,840 Speaker 1: years with a girl. That's nice for you to want 132 00:07:29,840 --> 00:07:31,800 Speaker 1: of him. Really find somebody else. Because you're a high 133 00:07:31,840 --> 00:07:35,040 Speaker 1: rank an official at your job. You offered the girlfriend 134 00:07:35,120 --> 00:07:37,440 Speaker 1: or entry level position so she could get some skills. 135 00:07:37,480 --> 00:07:40,240 Speaker 1: She's never had a job before. She relies on your 136 00:07:40,240 --> 00:07:43,240 Speaker 1: son to take care of her. He pays her car note, 137 00:07:43,240 --> 00:07:45,800 Speaker 1: which is only three hundred and forty five dollars a month, 138 00:07:46,040 --> 00:07:50,080 Speaker 1: and he buys her things like they're married. That's what 139 00:07:50,240 --> 00:08:01,400 Speaker 1: men do. We buy women things percha. It's perch purchasing 140 00:08:01,440 --> 00:08:11,040 Speaker 1: with a purpose called an investment. It's an rye should 141 00:08:11,040 --> 00:08:16,480 Speaker 1: be a return on investment. It's called wining and dining. 142 00:08:16,640 --> 00:08:20,280 Speaker 1: We understand that. Now. The other form of that is 143 00:08:20,320 --> 00:08:23,080 Speaker 1: just the oldest profession in the world, which is prostitution. 144 00:08:23,760 --> 00:08:27,000 Speaker 1: Either way you're gonna pay for it. This is the 145 00:08:27,080 --> 00:08:30,240 Speaker 1: more gentlemanly way. This is the way that we tolerated more. 146 00:08:30,840 --> 00:08:34,200 Speaker 1: I can't tell you how much I've invested over the year. 147 00:08:37,400 --> 00:08:39,880 Speaker 1: She tries to sneak and spend the night over my house, 148 00:08:39,880 --> 00:08:41,240 Speaker 1: but I made her get up in the middle of 149 00:08:41,280 --> 00:08:44,600 Speaker 1: the night and get out of my house. Now, you say, 150 00:08:44,600 --> 00:08:46,480 Speaker 1: if my son moved out, it would keep me out 151 00:08:46,480 --> 00:08:48,680 Speaker 1: of these business, But since he's under my roof, everything 152 00:08:48,800 --> 00:08:51,560 Speaker 1: is going behind does is my business? That's a true statement. 153 00:08:52,280 --> 00:08:54,240 Speaker 1: If you don't want your mom and your business man, 154 00:08:54,559 --> 00:08:57,480 Speaker 1: get out your mama's house. I found a bunch of 155 00:08:57,480 --> 00:08:59,920 Speaker 1: gift bags and boxes in the hall closet. Boys very 156 00:09:00,040 --> 00:09:01,640 Speaker 1: when he said he had to hide different from his 157 00:09:01,679 --> 00:09:04,800 Speaker 1: girlfriend because those are her Christmas presence he's been buying 158 00:09:04,880 --> 00:09:11,319 Speaker 1: since office. Whipped Boy wants to put a smile on 159 00:09:11,360 --> 00:09:15,720 Speaker 1: her face because she puts a smile on his face. 160 00:09:18,720 --> 00:09:26,200 Speaker 1: His gifts cost money, her gift costs time. See, he's 161 00:09:26,280 --> 00:09:28,679 Speaker 1: trying to really put a smile on her face for 162 00:09:28,800 --> 00:09:32,560 Speaker 1: Christmas because he won't his Christmas gift to wait the 163 00:09:32,640 --> 00:09:36,800 Speaker 1: way only she know how to give it. That sent 164 00:09:36,880 --> 00:09:38,720 Speaker 1: you into a friends that I told him he's treating 165 00:09:38,720 --> 00:09:40,599 Speaker 1: her like a wife and he needs to propose and 166 00:09:40,720 --> 00:09:43,080 Speaker 1: make an official He says he's not even sure if 167 00:09:43,120 --> 00:09:45,360 Speaker 1: he wants to marry because she cheated on him last 168 00:09:45,400 --> 00:09:47,480 Speaker 1: month with a friend. You know, you and your boy 169 00:09:47,600 --> 00:09:52,000 Speaker 1: got a real special relationship. He tell you everything. Well 170 00:09:52,080 --> 00:09:55,000 Speaker 1: now that he'd have told you that, I mean, what 171 00:09:55,080 --> 00:09:57,880 Speaker 1: we're gonna do. I mean, I don't even know why 172 00:09:57,880 --> 00:10:01,760 Speaker 1: he's still seeing her right now, but obviously I'm telling 173 00:10:01,800 --> 00:10:06,439 Speaker 1: you he's whipped. She putting it on that boy. That 174 00:10:06,480 --> 00:10:11,959 Speaker 1: boy can't seeker what she putting it on that boy. 175 00:10:12,040 --> 00:10:19,120 Speaker 1: That boy case I can see clearly now the rain 176 00:10:22,800 --> 00:10:29,079 Speaker 1: it is a song for I can see in my way. 177 00:10:29,600 --> 00:10:31,079 Speaker 1: You're not gonna be able to do that till he 178 00:10:31,160 --> 00:10:33,040 Speaker 1: get that girl out of this way right now. He 179 00:10:33,080 --> 00:10:38,760 Speaker 1: can't see clear because he will. You know, there's another 180 00:10:38,840 --> 00:10:41,640 Speaker 1: song out y'all don't know, but I bought that album 181 00:10:41,679 --> 00:10:45,360 Speaker 1: to another white group back in the eighties. What. I 182 00:10:45,360 --> 00:10:47,960 Speaker 1: don't know his name, but there's a smoke of a 183 00:10:48,040 --> 00:10:53,160 Speaker 1: distance five. I don't know the suthing. I don't know 184 00:10:53,240 --> 00:11:00,880 Speaker 1: that that. Yeah, it's very much goes with this letter. 185 00:11:00,880 --> 00:11:06,720 Speaker 1: But anyway, yeah, I can't he tried to get the 186 00:11:06,720 --> 00:11:15,040 Speaker 1: melody stay for towns in bad You didn't lie nine 187 00:11:15,120 --> 00:11:33,559 Speaker 1: out the night though, Okay, yeah, yeah, okay, never mind, 188 00:11:34,400 --> 00:11:37,320 Speaker 1: just go ahead, Well, we probably need to just take 189 00:11:37,360 --> 00:11:39,400 Speaker 1: all that out what I just said, because it didn't 190 00:11:39,400 --> 00:11:44,120 Speaker 1: mean nothing anyway. Okay, anyway, he bought these prisoners now 191 00:11:44,200 --> 00:11:45,880 Speaker 1: down through you, and he's treating it like a wife 192 00:11:45,880 --> 00:11:47,719 Speaker 1: and postmaking the fish. He said he's not sure he 193 00:11:47,760 --> 00:11:50,080 Speaker 1: wants to marry because he cheated on the cheating with 194 00:11:50,120 --> 00:11:52,800 Speaker 1: a friend of his. Last moment I lost in Tony. 195 00:11:52,840 --> 00:11:55,000 Speaker 1: He won't buy anything else. I told him I was 196 00:11:55,400 --> 00:12:01,040 Speaker 1: canceling his credit card. Why does he have your credit card? Mama? 197 00:12:01,440 --> 00:12:03,640 Speaker 1: Oh that's why you said you got to see you 198 00:12:03,679 --> 00:12:07,199 Speaker 1: a single pan because you cancel his credit card. This 199 00:12:07,240 --> 00:12:10,480 Speaker 1: girl is playing him. He's buying her affection. He won't 200 00:12:10,520 --> 00:12:12,520 Speaker 1: have the means to buy her anything else. And we'll 201 00:12:12,559 --> 00:12:15,800 Speaker 1: see if she sticks around. I might not know how 202 00:12:15,840 --> 00:12:17,559 Speaker 1: to raise a man, but I will not raise the 203 00:12:17,600 --> 00:12:21,240 Speaker 1: food lady. Perfect statement you just made. Congratulations, he's too 204 00:12:21,240 --> 00:12:24,679 Speaker 1: old to be this gullible. Now that I took away 205 00:12:24,679 --> 00:12:27,120 Speaker 1: his credit card, he's not talking to me. Okay, Well, 206 00:12:27,320 --> 00:12:30,480 Speaker 1: when you speak, when you move so but you ain't 207 00:12:30,480 --> 00:12:33,199 Speaker 1: been to do it. Come in here turning keys and 208 00:12:33,280 --> 00:12:38,480 Speaker 1: you ain't speaking. Okay. I lived in my mama and 209 00:12:38,559 --> 00:12:42,480 Speaker 1: Hiln house. Huh, you can't come in here turning keys 210 00:12:42,480 --> 00:12:45,720 Speaker 1: and ain't speak. Huh. Yeah. My father just came in 211 00:12:45,760 --> 00:12:47,320 Speaker 1: there and just said, you know, you got six months 212 00:12:47,320 --> 00:12:49,160 Speaker 1: to get on your feet. But I got a job before. 213 00:12:49,400 --> 00:12:50,920 Speaker 1: He said, boy, you make more money and I made 214 00:12:50,960 --> 00:12:55,000 Speaker 1: on my job. Now take your next check and go 215 00:12:55,080 --> 00:12:58,000 Speaker 1: get to a place. Yeah, that was it. I was saying, 216 00:12:58,080 --> 00:12:59,600 Speaker 1: I ain't got nothing to say to this later. Right, 217 00:12:59,640 --> 00:13:03,560 Speaker 1: he's doing right there, canseled Okay, thinking on the way out. 218 00:13:04,520 --> 00:13:11,240 Speaker 1: It's up on Instagram and comment on today's keep trying 219 00:13:11,280 --> 00:13:13,920 Speaker 1: to tell me. You can also check out the Strawberry 220 00:13:13,920 --> 00:13:18,520 Speaker 1: and Letter podcast on demand. We got a lot to 221 00:13:18,559 --> 00:13:24,480 Speaker 1: talk about, Junior. Right, you're listening to Dave Harvey Morning 222 00:13:24,520 --> 00:13:24,800 Speaker 1: Show