ArcaMax

DEAR HARRIETTE: I have had the same best friend for nearly a decade -- since middle school. Due to the length of our friendship, I have gotten close with her and her family, even going on trips with them. I've noticed lately that I have started to develop feelings for her brother. He's a year younger than us and consistently accompanies us on ...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I am casual friends with D and F. We all became friends when our boys were in elementary school, but now the boys are grown and we see each other infrequently, only getting together every couple of years.

A few years ago, D sent F a Christmas card, but sent it to our address accidentally. (I don't exchange Christmas cards ...Read more

Dear Annie: My neighbor and I became friendly during the pandemic. We'd pick up things for each other at the grocery store, help water each other's plants, chat on our porches in the evening.

Somewhere along the way, she decided we were much closer than I did. Now she'll drop by unannounced and even text things like, "I miss you, haven't seen...Read more

DEAR ABBY: My mother passed away recently. She suffered from dementia and was a cancer survivor, but she lived well into her 80s. It was difficult for me to witness her mental decline when I spoke to her on the phone or visited her occasionally in the nursing home. She lived near my sister, so my sister had a much closer relationship with her ...Read more

Once you've interviewed and put into place the professionals who will be the backbone of your security system, it's time to think about the ones who help maintain your physical well-being. To begin, make a list of the examinations basic to your health -- e.g., Pap test, gynecological exam, dental checkup, mammogram, echogram, annual physical ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: It feels like my parents neglect to recognize my birthday every year, and it is becoming painful. My birthday was about two months ago, and they didn't make time to celebrate with me. I shared with them that I'd love to go out to dinner or do something together. After the day passed with no celebration, I told them that this ...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I was invited to a brunch as the only guest. The hosts live in a 6,000-square-foot mansion, of which all of the rooms could be photographed for a slick architectural magazine.

Brunch was delicious, but the rub of the situation was that the house was 54 degrees in temperature, and it was 15 degrees outside. I am on blood ...Read more

Dear Annie: I have been married for 12 years to a good man whom I love very much, but I dread nearly every holiday, birthday dinner and casual Sunday visit with his family. On the surface, my in-laws are charming, polished and the sort of people everyone else describes as "so nice." But behind that polished exterior is a steady drip of cutting...Read more

DEAR ABBY: We were friends with a couple we met about five years ago. We went out together a few times and mostly saw them at our neighborhood bar. They live about 30 miles away.

Well, the husband passed away about a year ago, so we offered the wife a bedroom whenever she comes this way so she doesn't have to drive in the dark. The last time ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I started a book club around eight months ago, and I advertised it on my community's Facebook page. I was so excited because the first time I hosted, it was a success. More than 30 people came, and the discussion we had on the book was amazing. As I've hosted more sessions, the numbers have slowly started to dwindle, with as few ...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: We need major publicity to get across a matter of etiquette for concert and theater attendees: WAIT UNTIL THE CURTAIN CALL IS OVER AND EVERYONE HAS HAD A CHANCE TO TAKE THEIR BOWS BEFORE STANDING. ONLY STAND AT THE VERY END -- AFTER THE PRINCIPAL ACTORS TAKE THEIR BOW.

Directors could put such a notice in the printed program,...Read more

Dear Annie: I have been married for 45 years, and the silence in my marriage feels deafening. It did not happen overnight. It built slowly over the years, like a snowball rolling downhill, growing larger and heavier until it now seems to fill every corner of our home.

I always believed I was being a good wife and partner. I raised our ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I'm struggling with what to do about my first job out of college. I've been here for four months, and while I expected a learning curve, I didn't expect the environment to feel so hostile. My boss yells at me across the office for small, easily fixable mistakes. The latest incident involved her slamming her hands on the table several ...Read more