ArcaMax

Dear Readers: March 17 is a day to celebrate the patron saint of Ireland, St. Patrick. Born in the 4th century, in Roman Britain, Patrick was taken captive by Irish pirates at the age of 16. He turned to God and Christianity and escaped. He returned to Ireland in 432 as a missionary. When he dies on March 17, 461, he had established churches, ...Read more

Dear Readers: The issue of dealing with a narcissist in the family struck a chord and prompted a number of letters offering insights and advice. Most were pretty disheartening because narcissists rarely change. Here are two interesting ones:

Dear Annie: This is a message to the sister in distress because of the abusive behavior of her sister-...Read more

Dear Annie: My husband and I have been married for 12 years. Overall, I think we have a great marriage. All marriages have an area where they struggle, and ours is children.

We were both married previously, and all of our children are from our previous marriages. But we consider them "ours." They still have relationships with the other ...Read more

Dear Annie: After months of careful planning, my daughter had to postpone her wedding reception last March because of the pandemic. She and her fiance made the difficult decision to go ahead with the wedding itself -- with only four people attending -- and reschedule the reception for later this year. They set the date for 20 months after the ...Read more

Dear Annie: Recently, I came across this poem. I've seen it attributed to Pope Francis -- not sure whether he actually said it. In any case, I thought you might share it with your readers. You don't have to be Catholic to get something out of them.

"Do you want to fast this Lent?

"Fast from hurting words and say kind words.

"Fast from ...Read more

Dear Annie: My sisters and I always took turns having the family Christmas at our respective houses. Six years ago, it was my turn to be the hostess. I was in the kitchen all morning cooking. As everyone arrived and was going through the buffet line, I noticed no one was taking much food. Some were not even getting a plate. I asked why my ...Read more

Dear Annie: This has bothered me for a while, and I just can't get over it. My brother got divorced when his children were very small. His ex, "Susie," always said that we, "the family," were the cause of their divorce, even though Susie cheated on him. I have dealt with it over the years and decided it is not my problem or my fault, and I'm ...Read more

Dear Annie: My wife has a lover. When we married, I was promised that she was done with her lover. But she isn't.

She sees this lover every day, and there is nothing I can do about it. After she's been with her lover, she is not interested in being around me. She can't, or won't, carry on a conversation and, when I try, she simply asks the ...Read more

Dear Readers: The letter from a woman who left her church because she did not want to hear political sermons brought an avalanche of mail. The majority wrote about the tax-free status that churches enjoy. Here are two examples, which I am including because they are so succinct. They are followed by a letter from a pastor, which provides his ...Read more

Dear Annie: I'm a mom to three beautiful little boys, all under the age of 10. Although I love my kids more than anything, I've always wanted to have a little girl. When I talk about it with my husband, he says he's content with our boys and that if we have another child, it's bound to be another boy, so we shouldn't even try.

I've tried to ...Read more

Dear Annie: I had a sister-in-law who treated my family, especially my parents, in a cruel manner. The worst thing she did was prevent my parents from embracing their grandchildren after school, even though they lived across the street from the school. Their grandson was told he could NOT talk to his grandpa on his walk home. This led to one ...Read more

Dear Annie: I am 74 years old. Back in my 40s, I tried learning an up-and-coming new skill: how to use a computer. Well, my attempts were fruitless. I could never figure it out. My wife tried teaching me, but I just couldn't get the hang of it. Later, my boss appointed a staff member (a computer "geek") to give me lessons. After weeks of ...Read more

Dear Annie: I own a bar with my best friend. We work great together. I've been married for five years, and yesterday, my business partner showed me messages from my husband. He gave her his phone number and said if she ever wants to talk, she should call. He is in no way associated with our bar. They are friends through me. I am very upset he ...Read more

Dear Annie: My husband and I have been married one year. Before we got married, he kept himself clean. Gradually, he's changed, and his hygiene has gotten worse and worse. Now he only changes underwear and showers once a week. He has let his hair grow long and messy and refuses to get a haircut. He shaves maybe once a week, at most. He used to...Read more

Dear Annie: I attend a small church where the congregation does not exceed 12 members. So on any given Sunday, there are at least nine of us in attendance, including the pastor and first lady. We follow the government recommended COVID-19 social distance guidelines.

I am hearing impaired and wear a digital hearing aid. There is an older ...Read more

Dear Annie: Our son is an educated, well-read, successful married man. We taught him how to keep a home, how to clean, how to groom himself. This has never been an issue.

Since he married five years ago, all things clean have disappeared. His home is filthy. We help out at his house, doing painting, flooring, etc. We are glad to be a part of ...Read more

Dear Annie: I have been dating my boyfriend for two years. We are both in our mid-40s. But I feel as if we are walking in opposite directions on the road of life.

He works two full-time jobs and has several younger children. He has so many responsibilities financially that he is stretched thin. I have never been invited inside his home. I ...Read more

Dear Annie: You recently asked readers to write in to respond to the question "What do you love most about your partner and why?" I am a pretty lucky lady! Sometimes, I feel like pinching myself to make sure I'm not dreaming. I'll call us "Fred" and "Rose" to tell our story.

Fred and I met later in life, after many years of single-parenting ...Read more

Dear Annie: My husband and I separated two years ago. Ultimately, we divorced about a year ago due to his rising alcohol and drug abuse, which led to him being violent. I did what I could for years to get him help, offering counseling together, rehabs and anything else that would be beneficial to him to deal with his addictions.

Once the kids...Read more

Dear Annie: My husband and I have been having a rough time. He cheated on me with a young woman and got her pregnant. I think this was her goal, secretly. She knew he had a wife and wanted him to leave me.

Anyway, the baby will be 1 soon, and now that my husband is seeking reconciliation, I feel stuck in the middle. I've already been through ...Read more