Slate: Ashley Flowers Answers “Dear Prudence” Questions

Ashley Flowers took time to answer “Dear Prudence” questions for Slate’s audience of advice-seekers. “Dear Prudence” is Slate’s advice column where readers can write in about any issue they’re experiencing to get helpful input.

Ashley weighed in on what it means to have important people in your life, friend breakups, and of course, pet ownership.

Here are a few nuggets of advice from Ashley’s Guest Prudie appearance:

• “Not every relationship will last a lifetime. In fact, most won’t. But that doesn’t make them any less meaningful or beautiful.”
• “Saying someone is the most important person in your life doesn’t devalue other relationships. I don’t know who the other two in your top three are—whether it’s a sibling, parent, best friend, or dog (my 12-year-old dog Chuck is definitely in my top three). But there is a difference between all of them and your partner.”
• “Sharing a life with a partner is not all sunshine and rainbows. Someone who is in it for the long haul with you is going to be with you through plenty of hard times, uncomfortable times, and times when you didn’t quite get what you thought you signed up for. Are they going to stick by your side and figure it out together? Or will you be on your own to figure it out? That gets old real quick.”