ArcaMax

From one of my favorite books, "Risking," by David Viscott, here are some truths that resonate today as powerfully (maybe even more so) as they did when they were first published. Please give each one the time it deserves, and let me know your thoughts about them.

--For a relationship to work, both partners must have all the freedom, privacy ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I have not been on the dating scene for years, but I recently put myself out there. I am a young 70-year-old, and I met a man who is in his late 50s. We hit it off and like each other a lot. We do have a problem, though. We attempted to get intimate, and it was uncomfortable and painful. It was awkward, but we still had a nice ...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: My daughter married a very nice man 18 months ago. We have had some contact with the in-laws, and are friendly.

The mother-in-law tends to be very negative, and is known to say unkind things about whoever isn't present. I ran into her while shopping, and she went into how she was worried about my daughter: She looks sad, she ...Read more

Dear Annie: My best friend has become impossible to make plans with. She says yes to everything, then cancels at the last minute with a vague excuse. Sometimes she says she is "too tired," other times she says work got crazy, and once she forgot completely until I texted from the restaurant asking if she was on her way. The worst was when I saw ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I have been married to my wife for two years. We met online and have known each other for about five years. We originally lived an hour apart, and after some persuasion, we bought a condo together.

Everything was going great until I began to notice my wife's attraction to other women. I noticed lesbians "cruising" my wife wherever we...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I moved states for college in order to attend my dream institution and help turn my dreams into reality. Obviously, moving for college was a massive adjustment for my family and me. I try to talk on the phone every day, but every once in a while, I miss a call due to the stress of school and living in the city. The other day I ...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: My husband and I went on a trip to visit my mother-in-law. While we were there, she suggested that my husband's brother and wife also join us for dinner. We rarely see them and my husband thought it was a great idea.

A little background: In the last six months, I was very ill and lost a substantial amount of weight. I am now ...Read more

Dear Annie: My husband recently bought an old classic car, the kind he has dreamed about since he was 17. He made the purchase after seeing one roaring down Main Street with the top down. It is shiny, loud, impractical and, according to him, "an investment." According to me, it is a very expensive midlife crisis with chrome bumpers.

He found ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I recently hosted a family gathering that included my adult cousin and his wife, who live locally, and my son, daughter-in-law and their son, who traveled from Georgia to Pennsylvania to visit.

Since my son and family rarely see relatives, I thought it would be great to get everyone together. At the gathering, my son barely ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I am in the process of moving and have come to the realization that I have too much stuff. I'm aware that I need to throw some things away; however, I feel selfish getting rid of things. I don't come from a lot of money and often feel like getting rid of things is just throwing money away. By no means am I a hoarder or live in ...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I have an unusual first name. When I am introduced to a new acquaintance, often they will make a comment. When the comment is, "What a pretty name!" or "How lovely!" it is easy to respond with, "Thank you."

But when the comment is, "Oh that's different," how does one respond? "Yes" seems a bit weak.

GENTLE READER: Well, it's...Read more

Dear Annie: I recently cleaned out my mother's house after she moved into assisted living, and I thought the hardest part would be the boxes. I was wrong. The hardest part was realizing that every drawer held a memory, and every memory came with a decision.

There were birthday cards she had saved from 1987, chipped coffee mugs from family ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: My husband and I have been married 12 years, and we were together five years before getting married. He's an alcoholic who has been sober for several years, but he wants to argue about everything. He has anger issues, possibly because he was in the military. His health is bad, too.

I have reached a breaking point and am thinking ...Read more

I consumed a lot of horror movies during my teen years. For a couple of my friends, my room became the hub where we watched the standard fare of slashers, munched on overly processed snacks, and critiqued the characters' decisions as they ran for their lives. We, of course, would make better, smarter decisions. Ah, to know more as a teenager.

...Read more

Dear Annie: Every year, around Memorial Day, I tell myself this will be the summer we slow down. I picture lazy mornings, dinners outside, long walks after sunset and maybe even reading a book that is not interrupted every three minutes.

Then somehow, by the second week of June, my calendar looks like it was planned by a cruise director with ...Read more