ArcaMax

DEAR HARRIETTE: I recently was in a relationship with a boy who was never officially my boyfriend. However, we went on dates almost every week and often hung out. We progressed like this for three months until he went radio silent. I was hurt at first, especially since he made it seem like he wanted more. My friends even thought that he was more...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: My husband and I do a lot of recreational traveling, and often take local tours in the countries we visit. In these tours, there are often many comments using America as a punchline. How should I handle this? Just stand there and be humiliated?

GENTLE READER: One cannot open an American newspaper without reading that there is...Read more

Dear Annie: I am a working mother of two young children, and lately the guilt is eating me alive. I love my job. I worked hard to get where I am. But every morning when I leave the house, my 4-year-old asks why I have to go again, and my heart sinks.

My husband is supportive. We have good childcare. Still, I feel like I am missing the little ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I recently started dating a guy I have known for 30 years. He has moved in and asked me to marry him. Our relationship is perfect except for anything having to do with social media. He has an account on TikTok using a sexually suggestive name.

He's following 500 women and has just as many following him. I'm worried this will lead to ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: My best friend booked a trip, and she's going to be gone on my birthday. I have been planning my 30th birthday for four months; I put so much time and effort into planning it, and she won't be attending. We've been friends for eight years, and I just assumed that she was going to be there. I asked her why she scheduled her ...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: Since some political figures have demonstrated and encouraged boorish behavior, what was once seen as good breeding is now eschewed as unnecessary or unmanly. Is there still a place in such a world for civility?

Many cringe-worthy statements are applauded by a (thin) majority of people in the U.S.

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

Dear Annie: I always pictured summer as the one time of year when our family could finally slow down. During the school year, we are all racing from homework to practices to carpools to late dinners. I thought summer would bring beach days, lazy mornings, cookouts and maybe one real vacation where we could reconnect without everyone checking a...Read more

DEAR ABBY: Our nephew "Conrad" is engaged to be married soon. For several reasons, we are unable to attend the wedding. Under normal circumstances, I wouldn't hesitate to send a generous gift as I have for our other nieces and nephews. However, Conrad is not normal. He doesn't speak to me, my husband or our children, two of whom are his age. We ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I found out that my fiance recently went to his ex-girlfriend's birthday party, and he didn't tell me. My fiance and I have been dating for three years and have been engaged for six months, but I can tell it's been hard for him to fully let go of his ex because they dated for eight years. Part of me wants to understand where he's...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: What is wrong with tourists looking like tourists? Do they expect us to pack fancy clothes?

A local tour guide chewed out all of us Americans for wearing shorts, halter tops, sandals and backpacks. "Would you dress this way in your capital?" he kept saying.

Frankly, yes -- I would, and I have. It's damn hot in our fine ...Read more

Dear Annie: My younger sister has always been the "fun one" in our family. She breezes in late with a bottle of wine and a funny story, and somehow everyone forgives her before she has even taken off her coat. She forgets birthdays, cancels plans at the last minute and borrows money she never seems to pay back. My parents still smile and say, ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I'm 56 years old and have been married for 12 years. I don't want to drive an hour and a half to spend time with my husband's grandbabies. I have done that on many occasions and choose not to do it anymore. I'm not into babies -- or children, for that matter. He continues to ask me to go and can't understand why I don't want to. I ...Read more

I'd argue that I'm not a hoarder. My husband would like to contest that. I explained to him that a middle-class life is not complete without a drawer of odds and ends in the kitchen. He said that one drawer sounds plausible, "but," he said, and started to point at more than one drawer around the kitchen that could fit the bill.

However, my ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: After many years living near and helping my parents, I moved to another state to retire. My dad died three months after I moved. I begged my mother to let me fly back and help her with his arrangements, but she insisted I stay put.

Some weeks later, and two days after we had talked on the phone, she secretly buried my dad's ashes ...Read more