DR. WALLACE: My friend complains about her family situation almost every time I see her. She says that her parents are mean to her and she wants to run away from home because she can't take living in that situation any longer.

I haven't seen her or talked to her in the past four full days, which is very unusual since we usually talk on the telephone or text every single day.

How do you report a possible missing person, if you don't want to incriminate that person? — Worried Friend, via email

WORRIED FRIEND: Immediately take action if you believe that your friend is missing. Begin by calling your local law enforcement organization, and then call the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at 800-THE-LOST (800-843-5678). No matter who you reach, provide all the details you can recall about her situation. Think about the last few conversations and communications you had with her. What did she specifically say? Did she mention any other state, town or community that she might try to run to? Did she mention any other person who might travel with her or who could assist her in her quest to leave home?

Of course, I also recommend that you continue to try to call and text her daily (which I'm sure you are doing) and even stop by her family home to ask her family about her whereabouts.

I also encourage you to reach out and make contact with every other friend or acquaintance of hers to see if they might know anything.

The main thing you MUST do right away is contact your local authorities. Do it now. I truly hope that your friend is well and that her location will be confirmed very soon. There are certainly several people who love and care, including a great friend like you.

I WANT TO DATE OTHERS

DR. WALLACE: My boyfriend of three years is going to be going out of the country for his work for at least six months. I'm going to miss him a lot, and I'm not sure I can go visit him due to COVID-19.

When he told me the news, I was kind of disappointed because he didn't even talk about it with me before he made the decision to leave. Now I've gotten used to the idea, but after thinking it through more and more, I'm not happy that I wasn't included in the decision-making process.

We have decided that we're going to date other people while he's gone. This was kind of my idea because I felt like he wouldn't have left me if he thought I was "the one" in the first place.

This will give both of us the freedom to explore different people and relationships. And if we are meant to be, maybe he will return and we'll live happily ever after.

My question is, do you think we were ever really in love, or were we just good friends who kissed once in a while? — Ready for What's Next, via email

READY FOR WHAT'S NEXT: You're a smart young lady, and you have plenty of time in front of you to date and fall in love.

You may have been moderately in love with your boyfriend, but things sometimes change.

Young adults, at times, do make rather large lifestyle decisions that can impact and drastically change dating situations. Sometimes, these decisions are difficult for each person involved.

You and your boyfriend were dating, but the status of your relationship was not such that it stopped him from planning to leave for at least six months. So, in hindsight, I suggest you look at it as it was: a learning experience within a long-term relationship that did not lead to marriage.

Enjoy the six months, and be yourself, and see what develops. You'll know by about month five or so how you feel about your former relationship. I trust you'll make an informed, sound decision for yourself either way.

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 rwallace@thegreatestgift.com. 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: 5688709 at Pixabay