DR. WALLACE: I'm writing about the 18-year-old girl who wanted to know if she should wait for her boyfriend who was sent to prison for seven years because he was convicted of a serious crime.

I can personally relate to her situation. I am 29 and have spent the past 10 years of my life waiting for my "soulmate" to straighten out his life. My boyfriend has been in and out of jail and prison for the past decade and he still has three more years left on his sentence. The prime years of my life were spent visiting penal institutions and writing endless letters while my close friends were happily married and raising children. They talk about the future while I think about my wasted past.

I'm trapped. I've waited 10 years already, so I might as well wait three more. But after he's released, I'm not so sure he won't wind up in prison again. I have met many females who are waiting for the release of their boyfriends or husbands and they all agree the common word for us is misery.

My advice to the young lady is to look for another boyfriend. This might seem cold-hearted, but that's what she should do. The guy behind bars chose the lifestyle of crime and is being punished for it. Why should she also suffer punishment? You are only on this earth for a short time; it's insane to spend part of that precious time being miserable and waiting for a happiness that might not ever come.

I'm not saying that wives shouldn't wait for husbands who are prisoners because they took an oath before God "till death do us part." But I am telling females who did not take that oath to tell their male friends who are behind bars, "Good fortune, good health, and goodbye." — Nameless, Newark, N.J.

NAMELESS: Thanks for sharing your feelings on such a difficult matter. It will influence many teens to make a proper decision. Of course, what is right for one person is not necessarily right for another, but your letter presents a strong argument for the way you feel.

SAVING ALL EARNINGS SEEMS UNREASONABLE

DR. WALLACE: I'm 16 and babysit for my next-door neighbor. I make about $40 a week. I've been babysitting for about seven months and have earned over $1000. All of it is in a bank savings account because my parents refuse to allow me to spend one penny of my earnings. They keep telling me they're teaching me to save for a rainy day.

I don't think this is fair, do you? I think I should be allowed to spend some of my earnings when the days are sunny and bright. My parents encouraged me to write for your opinion. — Ramona, Santa Fe, N.M.

RAMONA: I'm definitely in favor of teens learning the value of money and getting into the saving habit, not just for rainy days but for long-term goals such as going to college or the South of France, buying a car, etc.

However, saving every last penny seems unreasonable. You should, I agree, be able to spend some of your earnings now, on days that are sunny and bright. Banking 50 percent of what you earn strikes me as a happy compromise. After all, part of learning the value of money is learning how to spend it wisely. This takes practice!

Dr. Robert Wallace welcomes questions from readers. Although he is unable to reply to all of them individually, he will answer as many as possible in this column. Email him at [email protected]. To find out more about Dr. Robert Wallace and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

Photo credit: Pamela V White