The LW probably has some old-fashioned family members that have made disparaging comments about online dating, hence her reluctance to admit that is how she met her sweetie.

Just go with it. Tell the truth but do it in a way that doesn't invite other peoples opinions. I met a great guy online about 8 years ago during the heyday of dial up service and AOL chat rooms-- upon meeting face to face, we learned we had NO chemistry but thanks to email we remain great friends with each other and our respective spouses -- and our kids have playdates.

I met my husband on a BLIND date-- that is supposed to have stigma too, but I wouldn't have met him any other way so I am very happy I met him that way.

Why are online dates and/or blind dates (introduced through friends) somehow less preferable than meeting in a bar? My parents were fixed up by a friend at a bar-- and the story sounds much better when they say "we were fixed up by a friend" rather than "we met at a bar."

Once you are in the marriage and kids and mortgage phase of life, saying you met in a bar just makes you sound like lush barflies in front of your kids.

Curse her back! Curse her that she will have a horrible relationship with her son and grandchildren, that she will grow old, she will have vague aches and pains which no doctor will validate, she will be miserable, she will have to spend more and more on groceries that won't taste as good as they did in the old days, and her heart will grow hard with bitterness and spite as the years go by, and most importantly, curse her with supernatural impotence so that none of her curses (over your husband or anyone else) will ever have any power.

What qualifies a person to curse another, anyhow? Did she get certified by the Academy of Old World Curses and Spells? Is she a witch?

If not, then your curses have just as much power as hers do. Curse her back. Spit on her kitchen table to seal it, if you can't bring yourself to spit directly at her face. Tell her that is how you seal a curse in your culture.

And while you do all this, try to keep a straight face, if you can.

LW-- consider that you are still in school, and have not yet experienced the grinding demands of your medical residency, followed by the balancing act you will be required to maintain should you decide to have some children. If you are fortunate, you will emerge from your education debt-free, but if you have debt, that will certainly add a layer of stress to your life.

Your career will be very challenging and demanding in ways that you and your parents could not have anticipated. You will earn more money, and deal with more complex and meaningful problems in the course of your day than you would in a non-professional gig, but you may also come to realize that the average, ordinary 9-5 jobber (assuming he or she makes enough to make the rent) has a life that is considerably less stressful and complicated-- and perhaps in some ways happier. Weekends can be enjoyed, for example. Dinners with friends can be experienced without interruptions. Hobbies can be tended to without guilt.

I think you connect with your boyfriend precisely because he is less ambitious. He gives you an outlet, a place to let your hair down and stop being so serious and driven. He isn't in a competition with you and isn't trying to prove that he is smarter or more accomplished than you.

Your parents do not have the same level of education as you, yet they raised you beautifully and gave you your first experience of what it feels like to be around people who love you. So, perhaps less educated people are more comfortable for you to spend time with.

This man with the government job, with the government benefits and promise of a steady pension down the road-- does he get to leave work at 5 p.m. each day? That is a bonus if you might want to have kids with him-- he can be the one to pick them up from daycare and get dinner started so you don't have to feel guilty and stressed when you have to work late. There are worthy ambitions and goals that have nothing to do with obtaining professional degrees or high-status jobs, and have everything to do with enjoying a good life.

If you love him, love him for who he is and respect that his ambitions have nothing to do with his career. Appreciate what he has to offer, and consider whether he could be your helpmate in life. Think about what life could be like with him now and ten years from now, and how that life would be different if he were more career-obsessed or even a workaholic to the extreme.