Dear Eric: I’m 33 years old and my parents are in their 60s, close to retirement age. They are also full-time caregivers to my disabled younger brother. They have asked that I move back into their house to assist them, as my job is remote and I am the only one of my siblings with this ability. While this will offer many benefits, including spending more time with my brother, helping my aging parents, saving money instead of paying crushing DC rent and giving me the opportunity to move ahead financially for the first time in my life, my friends treat this as if I’m moving away forever and will essentially cease to exist. I fear they are right. How do I communicate to my friends that this kind of isolating language and sentiment is distressing without confirming their assumptions on what this life change means for me? — Homeward Helper Dear Helper: What you’re doing is admirable and practical, but it sounds like your friends are too self-involved to see that.