ArcaMax

Dear Annie: My ex-daughter-in-law's brother would have been sleeping on the streets for the past two years if it weren't for my husband. He's been paying rent for "Gary," who has not received any help from the other members of the family.

Gary has been unemployed for five years. He was living with my ex-daughter-in-law, her boyfriend and my ...Read more

Dear Annie: As a youth anti-tobacco advocate, I'm incredibly proud of our country's progress against tobacco. We've cut smoking among high school seniors by nearly 70% since 1997. I know we can make the next generation tobacco-free, but we've got a lot of work left to do.

Tobacco is still the No. 1 cause of preventable death in our country. It ...Read more

Dear Annie: My oldest and youngest sisters are 10 years apart. They used to be good friends, but in the past three years, something apparently happened and now they can't stand to be in the same room together. At family events, the tension is awful. They can't talk to one another without condescension and sarcasm.

My parents and I are caught in...Read more

Dear Annie: I have been married for 25 years to "Betty," a beautiful, intelligent, caring woman from Greece. Our marriage has been good. We are financially solid, and we share values and interests.

I am 63 and retired. Betty still works, and she makes a good salary. I'm in reasonably good health, although the doctors say I have to watch my ...Read more

Dear Annie: I have two young granddaughters who live on opposite sides of the country. They are both in elementary school. "Harper" has tree nut allergies. Tree nuts are hidden in many things, including anything with sesame. In many cases, nut-free items are processed in the same plants where tree nuts are processed, making them unsafe even ...Read more

Dear Annie: Eight years ago, I moved in with my parents to help care for them. My dad passed away shortly after. My mother has some minor health issues but can get around. Annie, as the years have passed, it has become a miserable existence. There are no visitors to our house. I'm sure the reason is Mom's chronic complaints. According to her, ...Read more

Dear Annie: My son is 36 years old and was raised in a Christian home. However, twice in the last two months, he has posted pictures on Facebook of women being hit by men. The first was a cartoon, and he posted it on his teenage daughter's page. I sent him a message asking if he thought it was a good idea to tell his daughter that it is OK to be...Read more

Dear Annie: My sister lives with my father. She is supposed to be helping him, but she has a problem with depression and self-medicates with marijuana and alcohol.

Do you have any recommendations as to how to handle her? She is so difficult to work with, and will not admit that she needs help. -- Concerned Siblings

Dear Siblings: We're not ...Read more

Dear Annie: I was diagnosed with chronic kidney disease five years ago during an annual physical at the age of 79. I did not have hypertension, diabetes or a family history of kidney disease -- the distinctive risk factors for kidney disease -- although my age should have been a red flag.

Looking back on my medical history, it turns out my ...Read more

Dear Annie: I have three best friends. We are juniors in high school and like sisters. Two weeks ago, "Jessica" and "Lucy" got into a fight because Jessica didn't like Lucy's driving. When I suggested that most people don't take well to criticism, Jessica refused to talk to me. The next day, she sent a long text message to Lucy and me, saying we...Read more

Dear Annie: I have three siblings. I get along great with my sister and oldest brother, but my younger brother drives me bonkers. The only time he ever calls or emails is to brag about how much money he has, how great his kids are, and on and on. Yet, if I ever try to say anything positive about my family, he quickly interrupts and tries to top ...Read more

Dear Annie: My wife of 30 years is a manager at a large company. Over the past several months, she has been working with a divorced male colleague who is constantly texting, phoning, emailing and Facebook messaging her.

At first, I thought nothing about the invasion of privacy. But when the contact was after business hours and on weekends, I ...Read more

Dear Annie: My husband passed away last month. His six children (who are my age) were never fans of our marriage, even though their father was happy for the 10 years we were together. They never considered me a part of their family. Only one of his children attended the funeral. I have not received a condolence card from any of them, although ...Read more

Dear Annie: Yesterday, I tried to help my son do his third-grade homework. One question was: "If Sue runs around the track twice, and John runs around the track four times more than Sue, how many times does John run around the track?" My son submitted his answer as 8, but the teacher said the answer was 6.

Do I speak up? Should I simply assume ...Read more

Dear Annie: I am a very loving mother of two adult daughters. "Jane" has a child with her ex and another with her current husband. "Cindy" is married with one child and one on the way.

At first, things with Jane were great. We helped them furnish their house with all new appliances, and also helped financially when they asked. Three years ago, ...Read more

Dear Annie: One of my wife's siblings insists that everyone remove their shoes upon entering her home. This makes me feel like I am welcome only so long as I don't get their precious house dirty.

My wife and I were recently invited to her sister's house for a family party. When I didn't take off my perfectly clean shoes, she looked me in the ...Read more

Dear Annie: I have eight grandchildren and I love them all. I make sure to spend equal amounts of time and care with each one of them.

The problem is my son's 3-year-old child. My son and his wife live with his mother-in-law in another state. I have been unable to see this grandson, because the wife and her mother are so afraid of colds that ...Read more

Dear Annie: I am struggling with my neighbors. They have not one, but two barking dogs, which is double the noise. They confine the dogs to their backyard, which happens to be adjacent to ours. The barking drones on for hours, sometimes days, from very early morning until long after sunset. Our master bedroom, as well as our kitchen and family ...Read more

Dear Annie: I am livid about my 72-year-old mother's physicians. Over the past few years, they kept writing her more and more prescriptions for opioid pain medication, despite our expressions of concern. When she ran out of pills before she could get another prescription, she experienced full-blown psychosis. Patients need hospital care in order...Read more

Dear Annie: My youngest son, "Ian," is soon to marry the "love of his life." I haven't had much of an opportunity to get to know "Tess," but my wife has spent time with her and really likes her. Around me, however, Tess seems to be reserved and quiet. I asked Ian about her reticence and after some hesitation, he told me that Tess finds me "...Read more