Dear Eric: I am friends with a person I dated for a short while. We’re in our 50s. The only reason I still see her is that she doesn’t have any other friends. She is also a sole parent to a difficult teen who also has no friends and has no desire to make any (she tells me this). I do not enjoy her company, although she is a good person.

There are a couple of concerning details here. For instance, she doesn’t want you to date anyone else and you’ve acquiesced to that. That’s not a healthy friendship. She has to accept your breakup. That’s not work you can do for her. Furthermore, a good friend isn’t going to try to control your behavior or block you from romantic happiness.

Dear Eric: I am friends with a person I dated for a short while. We’re in our 50s. The only reason I still see her is that she doesn’t have any other friends. She is also a sole parent to a difficult teen who also has no friends and has no desire to make any (she tells me this). I do not enjoy her company, although she is a good person.

In today's Asking Eric column, R. Eric Thomas responds to someone who no longer wishes to be friends with their ex-partner.

On the rare occasion that it’s something good, like trying a new medication, starting to exercise or getting a job again, I respond with encouragement and praise. But even the good news devolves into more complaints about what isn’t going right.