ArcaMax

DEAR ABBY: I have a younger brother who has moved back to the area where the rest of our siblings live. He went for 30 years without keeping in close contact with anyone during that time. He's the youngest of 10 children, and our mother spoiled him rotten. He's in his 60s now and still acts like an immature spoiled child. Our father had to bail ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I'm in love with an older woman. I'm 41, and she is about 35 years older. I have known her since I was a kid. She's the reason I always dated older women. I want to tell her how I feel, but I'm scared she'll be shocked, and I wouldn't want anyone else to find out my feelings, like her kids. I grew up with them.

We always enjoy our ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: Two years ago, I ran into an old friend I hadn't seen in more than 25 years. We went to dinner the following week. The dinner lasted three hours. Abby, she talked the entire time! It was a mix of grandiose stories, complaints about her health, complaints about her relationships and an attempt to make me feel guilty for not contacting ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I'm a single mother of an 18-year-old son with autism. I have known "Cliff" for more than 20 years. We live on opposite coasts. I want to be with him and he with me, though he doesn't want my son to live with us at this time. He wants it to be just the two of us for a while. Abby, my son is not able to live on his own. Do you have any...Read more

DEAR ABBY: My husband and I have been married for eight years. For the most part, we are happy, but there is one thing that upsets me. He doesn't like to have people over for social events. In fact, I can't get him to participate in any social outing without him moaning and complaining the entire time.

I enjoy getting together with friends and ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I am a 62-year-old man. I was born with a cleft lip and cleft palate. Growing up, I had several surgeries and much dental work to improve my appearance. I had wonderful friends who never teased me about it.

Now, looking back at my childhood, I realize that my father hated me because of the way I looked when I was born. He has never ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: My boyfriend, "Evan," and his mother, "Mitzi," tell people they are siblings. I love my boyfriend, but I don't feel comfortable lying for him, and I wish he wouldn't lie for his mother. Evan is in his early 30s. His mother is in her early 50s, though she tells people she is 10 years younger.

Mitzi has worked in the hospitality ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: My husband died six years ago. I met a widower three years ago. He was nice and attentive, but not anymore. We moved in together, and the last two years I have been miserable.

I pay half the rent. I also pay for all the groceries and gas and pick up the check every time we go out to eat. He even takes my meds, so I have only half of ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I'm a college junior in need of advice. I share an apartment with two other female students, "Wendy" and "Lauren," who roomed together before I met them. Wendy is sweet and easygoing, but she grew up in a rural area and seems very sheltered. For example, she can't swim and thinks that eating shrimp is exotic, but she likes to clog ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: My father passed away three months ago, leaving my mom alone for the first time in her life. She lives nearby, so my wife and I have been doing what we can. We have her over several times a week, and we visit and call to check in often.

Mom is having a hard time and sometimes forgets to eat or get dressed if we don't remind her. ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I respectfully disagree with your response to "Woman's wedding has been hijacked." These mothers have no business trying to co-opt the bridal couple's wedding. If the daughter gives in, it's only the beginning of these two mothers trying to strong-arm themselves into trying to make future decisions for this poor couple.

The couple ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: One year ago, I convinced my daughter (64) to move here to Florida to be closer to me. I bought her a small mobile home to live in, and I don't charge her any rent. Before she moved down here from Minnesota, she agreed to pay the lot rent and her own utilities.

Recently, she met a man and fell in love. She has been single and self-...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I am at my wits' end with "Barney," my husband of 35 years. He retired two years ago, but I am still working and likely will for several more years. I've worked from home successfully since long before the COVID-19 pandemic, which was fine while Barney was working. When he retired, I talked to him about respecting boundaries during ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: Twenty-six years ago, I began what was supposed to be an affair with my current girlfriend, "Lacey." I was married at the time, and when my then-wife caught me, I was told we needed only to figure out who got what out of the marriage. Believing there was no salvaging the marriage, I took what was available and stayed with Lacey.

My ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I got permission from my estranged brother to invite his 17-year-old daughter, "Ella," to spend a month with my family this summer. We live on the East Coast, and she lives on the West Coast.

Ella is about to graduate from high school and has had a difficult home life and relationship with her dad and stepmother. After making her ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I am a 63-year-old man. My fiancee (57) and I have been dating exclusively, or so I thought, for four years. I just found out she has a male friend she has been seeing without my knowledge. They go to lunch and dinner and other activities.

She says they are just friends. He is her attorney, and he wants a romantic relationship. She ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: After nearly 18 years of marriage, I left my wife. Our daughters were 10 and 12. We had married quickly, and only later did I realize how deeply judgmental her "born-again" beliefs were -- so much so that she gradually cut off my entire side of the family. I tried for years to reason with her, to no avail, and we divorced. What I ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: My middle-aged son is on the autism spectrum and has recently come back home to live with us. He left home at 19 and has always had roommates. We didn't realize that he had autism until about a year ago.

We like having him here but are having a difficult time adjusting. My son has agreed to help with bills and contribute toward ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: My best friend and I got pregnant, each with our first child, with our due dates a week apart. We felt blessed to be going through this amazing experience at the same time. Our babies are now 2 months old. I am adjusting well to motherhood. I feel it's coming naturally to me.

My friend is having the opposite experience. Ever since ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I've been seeing "Brad" for nine months. We both have children of our own. He has a daughter, and I have a son. The little girl is a few months older than my 7-year-old son. I can see myself having a family with Brad.

However, one of my biggest pet peeves is when children use baby talk. Brad's daughter seems to be doing it more and ...Read more