ArcaMax

DEAR HARRIETTE: I love my mom, but she treats every little thing like an emergency, and it's starting to wear on me. Whether she needs help changing her phone settings, opening a jar, finding a contact or even choosing a dress for an event that is months away, everything is urgent to her. She'll ask me something repeatedly (even when I've ...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: Help! The summer concert season will soon be here in full force, and many musical groups have outdoor performances planned. At many such events in the past, people seated near me have talked throughout the concert. Do they really think that I enjoy hearing them talk through the musical numbers?

Once, a group of six people ...Read more

Dear Annie: My dad died of lung cancer a few years ago, and because of that, I abhor smoking in all its forms. The problem is I just discovered my boyfriend, who is a nurse, has been secretly vaping behind my back. I was shocked and upset not so much that he did it (which is bad enough) but that he went through great pains to hide it from me. ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I am a gay man. My husband, "Isaac," and I have been together for 21 years, married for nine. I'm having challenges with his sister. Over these 21 years, I have observed that any decisions involving their family gatherings and vacations are strictly determined by his sister, with no consideration given to whether the time, location, ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: How do I break off a friendship that I recently made? I am in the same professional networking organization with a woman, and we attend its monthly events together. I have found her to be combative and rude, and I don't want to have to deal with it anymore.

The final straw was when I invited her to a white party my friend was ...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: My fiance and I were spending time with an old, close, female friend of his. He noticed she was cold and offered his jacket to her. She wore his jacket for the rest of the evening.

He's a kind, faithful man who always looks out for others, and I know his intentions were noble; he truly just wanted to help his friend when he ...Read more

Dear Annie: My husband "Jack" has become so angry with me lately, and I don't understand why. We have been married for 10 years, have two beautiful girls, ages 6 and 4, and he's a great dad. However, with me, he is short-tempered and does not want to spend any "alone" time with me when I suggest we have date nights.

Jack refuses to discuss what...Read more

DEAR ABBY: My sister-in-law, "Carla," has had a "girlfriend," "Susan," for the past year who she has never met or spoken to. They only text. Carla says they plan to be married when they meet, which is canceled repeatedly. When I have asked, Carla has confusing reasons why they can't Facetime or speak on the phone.

Carla volunteered to come ...Read more

His voice vibrated with anger. It was contained, waiting for the release of the hello that never came, and my voicemail message forced him to change his tactic. He knew he had to keep that lid on to get a return call, but there was a Tupperware burp at the end, when he spat out an ask on what my plans were to enact the change he wanted.

He ...Read more

Dear Annie: I am 28, a college graduate, and have been told by my family and friends that I am good-looking. I am respectful of women I take out on dates; I pay for all the meals, am pleasant and interesting to talk to, and am neat and clean. I smell good, from cologne to fresh breath, and always dress neatly and fashionably. I am in finance and...Read more

DEAR ABBY: My brother has found love again. His first wife passed away from cancer two years ago. He is getting married in two months. We were never super close but have always been civil to each other and spent an hour or two with each other during holiday meals or birthdays.

Our mother is 89 and lives at his home in an added-on apartment. She...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I am having severe anxiety attacks about losing my job. The company I work for has been doing small reorganizations of my department all year. It feels like I am just waiting for my turn to be let go. I am a poor interviewer, and I don't have a large network. Since the economy is so bad, I am scared it may take me years to find a...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I am sufficiently old-school that I will sometimes answer a phone call from an unfamiliar number for which no caller ID is displayed, rather than letting it go to voicemail.

If I say hello, and the caller asks to speak to (name), is it rude of me to reply by asking, "Who is calling, please?" Also, does it matter whether the ...Read more

Dear Annie: I'm a 63-year-old widow with three grown children. Two of them live nearby and are wonderful children, while the third is estranged and lives several states away. It's been six years since I've seen her. She's sent very brief emails wishing me a happy birthday, etc., but nothing more.

Over the course of these six years, my other ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I had three close girlfriends in college. We lost touch with one of them more than 35 years ago. She has family in our area but moved to the Midwest and stopped communicating with us, though she regularly visits family nearby.

Over the years, I got a new job, married, had two kids, divorced, moved and retired. This friend has ...Read more