ArcaMax

DEAR HARRIETTE: My daughter just told me she's spent thousands of dollars on a matchmaker to help her with her love life. I can't seem to understand why she would do such a thing. My daughter is beautiful, smart and accomplished. I imagine she should be able to find love for free. When she told me about this, I could barely conceal my shock. I ...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: Is it acceptable to invite more people to your wedding than may be accommodated, on the theory that inevitably some invitees will decline? Does it matter whether the limit is set by law, venue policy or logistical necessity?

GENTLE READER: How much of a gambler are you?

Most people invite more people than they expect to ...Read more

Dear Annie: I've been married for 35 years and have four children and seven grandchildren. We are a blended family. All the children lived with, and were raised by, my husband and me.

One of my daughters was always kind of a black sheep, always doing things outside the box. As a young child, teen and adult, she always did it differently. So ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: At 82, my father continues to live alone and unassisted. He's generally in good healt, but is starting to recognize that he won't be forever. One thing he really wants to do while he still can (or thinks he can) is take a road trip -- by himself -- to visit his sister on the other side of the country.

He regularly does shorter drives...Read more

This could be you: making more money than ever and moving away from the pack, only to discover that in pulling yourself up, you're pushing men away. In the small hours of the morning, you catch yourself wondering whether the old days of money-blindness were better than the isolation solvency is bringing. In your heart of hearts, you know there's...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I have always liked to experiment with sewing my own garments. In my culture, it is common for people to make their own clothes or at least be able to repair what they buy. As time goes on, skills like sewing have become more uncommon, especially here in the United States. However, developing these skills at such a young age ...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: Several years ago, after a long and unhappy marriage, I finally found the strength to leave my husband. It was one of the hardest decisions I've ever made, but I knew I needed to do it for my own well-being.

Because our son was in high school at the time, his dad and I agreed that we would leave it up to him whether he wanted...Read more

Dear Annie: My 14-year-old daughter spends far too much time on social media, and I am beginning to see it affect her mood, confidence and sleep.

She checks her phone the moment she wakes up and often stays online long after she is supposed to be asleep. If a friend posts a picture without her, she becomes upset. If one of her own posts does ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I have been married to my wife for three years. She asked me to fix her old computer. As I was doing that, I saw emails from her ex, "Doug," dated a few months before our wedding. They started with the usual greetings, then proceeded to steamy back-and-forth emails.

They set up a time to talk, and Doug suggested they use FaceTime. It...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I consider myself to be very pro-Black and pro-Black advancement. One of the ways I try to show my investment in my community is by buying and shopping Black. I specifically enjoy going to Black-owned establishments like bars and restaurants. I have a friend who sees this as an inconvenience and does not understand the importance...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I know this will probably sound trivial, but: Who should decide who gets the leftover birthday cake?

See? I told you it was trivial.

I made a birthday cake for my nephew. While I was icing it, I mentioned to his mom (my sister-in-law) that we could share the leftovers. She replied that it was his cake, so he got all of it. I...Read more

Dear Annie: I am embarrassed to admit this, but I am jealous of my best friend.

"Claire" and I have been close for more than 20 years. We met in college, stood in each other's weddings and raised our children alongside one another. She has always been the person I could tell anything to.

Over the past year, though, everything in her life ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I never want to eat my husband's cooking again. He refuses to follow recipes because he says they are "too hard." He doesn't use seasonings -- or he uses the wrong ones. An example: He recently put cinnamon and cloves on zucchini and agreed with me that it tasted terrible. In addition to almost never being tasty, his cooking is ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I try to integrate my younger sister into my life as often as I can. Though we have a large age gap, she's graduated from college now, so it feels more appropriate to let her come out with me from time to time. She's known a lot of my close friends for a long time. That said, I may have given her the wrong impression by allowing ...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: The oddest thing started happening to me when I reached my 80s: Strangers began approaching me to tell me how beautiful I am. It continues regularly at the supermarket, at restaurants or on the bus.

It is unnerving and embarrassing. All my life, no one ever told me I was cute or attractive. I am not ugly, but I've never ...Read more