Emotional Check-In | Ask Uncle Gary

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Eleven Months Later

Altadena, CA. Nearly a year after the Eaton Fire carved its way through the foothills, the town is still living in its shadow. Eleven months sounds like enough time for life to snap back into place, but for many families, the calendar doesn’t match reality. People are still scattered across borrowed bedrooms, spare couches, and motel rooms that were never meant to be home. Entire neighborhoods feel like they’re holding their breath.

Dec 30, 2025

Am I out of line for asking my husband to pick up tampons for me?

Hey Uncle Gary, I got into a bit of a blowout with my mother-in-law after I asked my husband to run to the store and grab me some tampons last night. Personally, I didn’t think it was a big deal, and neither did he. For context: I’ve always had brutal cramps during the first few days of my period. We’re talking can’t-stand-up, curled-in-a-ball kind of pain. I was on birth control for over a decade to help manage it, but I recently stopped because my husband and I are trying t