Dear Cheryl: I don't understand why women misrepresent themselves on dating sights. I'm an individual who tells it like it is. Trying to find a good woman is frustrating. I'm almost ready to give up because I don't know whether there's a woman in this world who says what she means and means what she says.

I ended a five-year relationship because the woman was not honest and trustworthy. I travel for my job, and while I was gone, she sold all I had that could be sold. Lesson learned. I've tried to find a good woman through my travels, but it's the same all over the country. — At Wit's End

Dear At Wit's End: Whoa! You spent five years with a woman and didn't know she was a thief?

What did your friends and family think of her? Are you telling me she fooled all of them? It's hard to believe a con artist would invest five years before making her move. Something doesn't add up.

Or did someone warn you and you chose to ignore the warning? Why? Were you that desperate to keep her?

Before you continue your coast-to-coast search for an honest woman, I think you need to spend some time — maybe with a therapist — looking at yourself. There are over 162 million women in this country. Some of them have to be honest. It's not like you're looking for a needle in a haystack. But until you understand yourself and your own behavior better, you won't recognize them.

Dear Cheryl: I'm a 47-year-young woman who's been divorced for 12 years. I've had quite an interesting ride. I've been lucky enough to have been involved in three mini relationships. My interludes seem to have a shelf life of three to four months, and then poof. They expire like spoiled milk without any explanation other than "It's not you. It's me." It would be nice if just once a man would say what he means and mean what he says. As much as it has hurt, I've been able to pick myself up, dust myself off and get back in the game. I've learned something from every relationship.

When people ask me whether I'm seeing anyone, I tell them that I'm in the process of building my "Man Puzzle." I feel that every man I've come in contact with, even if it was just one date, added a piece to the puzzle. Sometimes the piece didn't fit, but most of the time it did. It just didn't complete the picture. I believe that one day, that last piece will be found.

Am I just fooling myself? What if that piece never shows up? — Puzzled By Love

Dear Puzzled By Love: If you're looking for one man who has all the best qualities of all the men you've dated, fugetaboutit. He doesn't exist. But that doesn't mean you won't meet a man you'll be very happy with.

I have a couple of questions about those mini relationships. Were they with men who had just gotten out of long-term relationships? Or with men who (you knew) were not that into you? If you answered yes to either of these questions, then you have the reason why the relationships didn't last.

Got a problem? Send it, along with your questions and rants to [email protected]. And check out my e-books, "Dear Cheryl: Advice from Tales from the Front" and "I'll Call You. Not.