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Ask Amy: For brothers, the path is paved with eggshells
Dear Amy: My brother and I have always had a tenuous relationship.
Our father was abusive, but we are both in mid-life and have led fairly successful and stable lives.
I often have to walk on eggshells when speaking with my brother because he always seems to read what I'm saying or doing as an attack.
Last New Year’s Eve, I was attending a ...Read more
Boundaries When a Relationship Is All Give, No Take
Dear Annie: I have a cousin who I grew up with (literally in the same building) for eight years of my life. After our families moved, we stayed close, often kept in touch on social media or through phone calls and text messages. We've often said we were sisters, not cousins.
In recent years I've begun to realize how selfish, self-centered and ...Read more
Ask Amy: Mom wonders whether to snitch on teens
Dear Amy: I'm a mom of a young teenager. I've worked hard to foster a sense of trust and accountability.
I've asked my teen to be open with me about the actions of friends and acquaintances, good and bad, and have promised that in return for their honesty, I will not "snitch" unless a friend is in a serious situation (e.g. threats of suicide, ...Read more
When the Spark of Love Dies Out
Dear Annie: This is a tough situation and I'm at a loss for what to do next. First, I've been battling a worsening depression for a few years now. I was 34 when I lost my mom on Memorial Day of 2022 and then my dad to a broken heart the next year. After many trials and tribulations through life, I brought myself slightly out of my depression ...Read more
Ask Amy: Elder traveler wants to go solo
Dear Amy: I love to travel. It’s almost an obsession, and age (I’m over 80) has not dulled my desire to GO. I had a good job and saved so that I could travel a lot in retirement.
My husband, however, has lost a lot of his wanderlust, and will only go if I beg and plead.
To keep us both happy, I take one or two trips a year by myself. I ...Read more
Mother-in-Law Longs for Order
Dear Annie: I need advice on how to approach my son about the disorder in his house. He was raised in a very neat home. When he lived alone for several years, his house was immaculate. He's now been married for four years. They have a 2-year-old and one on the way.
Their house is in total disarray -- laundry basket full of dirty clothes, ...Read more
Ask Amy: New relationship displaces old friendship
Dear Amy: I have a very good friend named “Carl,” who recently began dating a guy named “Samuel.” Samuel is cold to me and seems threatened by my long-standing close friendship with Carl.
I’ve mentioned this to Carl, who’s been dismissive about it.
Recently, Carl had a significant birthday, and when I asked if he was doing anything...Read more
Navigating Forgiveness and Boundaries
Dear Annie: I am 70 years old and blessed with two well-settled and caring grown children (one son and one daughter), who have each been blessed with two kids of their own, making me a grandma of 4 under 4; for which I'm very excited and grateful. Every day of my life, it gives me positive energy.
My marriage of 36 years fell apart six years ...Read more
Ask Amy: Guilt for long-ago behavior won’t fade
Dear Amy: Forty years ago, my wife was pregnant for one trimester. I’ve never forgiven myself for how I acted during those few months.
The pregnancy was planned, but instead of being pleased, doubts and fears assailed me. Rather than being supportive and optimistic with my wife, I was bad-tempered and unsympathetic. I felt trapped and ...Read more
Ask Anna: Redefining the 'player': Classy, honest and empowered dating for women
Dear Anna,
Do female players exist? If so, how do I become one? I want to keep it classy and maintain my integrity while I get out there and experience as much as I can. — Getting Action Makes Excitement Outwardly Novel
Dear GAMEON,
Of course female players exist! (As do players of all genders.) The reason you don’t hear about them as ...Read more
Single File: The Joy of Flow
When we're happy, everything seems to fall into place. We're in sync with the universe. Irritants shrink to manageable sizes. The fog of self-absorption gives way to the inner joy we're meant to know all the time. But somehow, it never seems to last very long; pretty soon, the old ways return and dim our vision with the familiar, the routine, ...Read more
Exclusivity vs. official: What's the difference?
I’ve received a lot of questions in the past six months—more than ever before—asking if there’s a difference between being exclusive with someone and the relationship being “official.” People are also asking, “How long should I wait after being exclusive before being ‘official’?”
The question usually comes from someone who ...Read more
Family Wounds and Forgiveness
Dear Annie: When I was 6 years old, my father left my mother for another woman who was 14 years his junior. She had actually been his secretary and had been with him for a couple of years before the divorce. My dad went so far as to even get an apartment for her in the city. She was 16 at the time.
Fast forward, he stayed married to her for ...Read more
Ask Amy: Husband’s love has hit a wrinkle
Dear Amy: My wife of 40 years is a beautiful woman and always has been.
When younger, she turned many heads. To this day (when she wears makeup), she still is quite attractive.
The one caveat is that now that she is in her 70s, she has developed many wrinkles.
She frequently asks me if I think she is looking much older.
I would never upset ...Read more
Balancing Parenthood's Struggles and Sacrifices
Dear Annie: Thank you for letting people know the importance of donating pet food to food banks and shelters. Right now we are facing a record number of pets whose families can't feed them! If everyone who could helped pets who have been cared for and loved their whole lives, they wouldn't end up in a noisy, scary, crowded shelter -- where ...Read more
Ask Amy: Friends get scratch for dog sitting
Dear Amy: Friends ask us regularly to watch their dog, but never offer us any compensation. We are not asking for cash, but a gift card would be nice.
They ask us to do this every year for one week in the summer, and then other periods throughout the year, usually lasting for a few days, and sometimes for several days at Christmastime. We live ...Read more
Navigating Marriage 30 Years In
Dear Annie: I have been married for 30 years and feel sad about the way things have been for the last couple of years.
My husband and I were married in May 1993, and I feel like our lives have sent us in two different directions. He is now a pastor of a church, where he has worked for more than two years. I know this is what he has been ...Read more
Millennial Life: Missing Out With Old-School Tactics
My office is right next to the entrance, with some seasoned and stalwart administrative assistants bearing the weight of navigating employees to their meetings, fending off lost students on campus, and enduring the dad jokes from the mail delivery drivers. Since I keep my door open, I heard the student come in to ask to speak to a hiring manager...Read more
Addicted to swiping right? Lawsuit claims Tinder and Hinge are designed to get users hooked
If you’re swiping on dating apps for hours, you’re not alone — and a new lawsuit claims it’s by design.
Dating apps such as Tinder and Hinge are intentionally addictive, a class-action lawsuit filed in federal court in California on Valentine’s Day claims.
Hidden algorithms push users to stay on the apps and “gamify dating” — ...Read more
Ask Anna: Navigating straight curiosity while in a queer relationship
Dear Anna,
I'm seeking advice about my sexuality and relationship. I'm in a sapphic relationship and while I love my girlfriend deeply and envision a future with her, I can't shake this lingering curiosity about being with men — despite not actually wanting to act on it due to my commitment to my current relationship. As I've only been with ...Read more
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