ArcaMax

DEAR HARRIETTE: One of my friends and I grew up in similar situations, with one of our parents being alcoholics. We shared our experiences with each other, and we each expressed that our biggest fear is to turn into our parents. Recently, my friend has been going through some familial issues and has been drinking. Every time I'm at her house, ...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: Six of us were at dinner in a nice restaurant. At a nearby table for two sat a man and a woman, who appeared to be grownups, rather than teenagers in their first relationships.

During this couple's nice dinner out, their mutual attraction apparently got the better of them. The man had his hand COMPLETELY up the woman's skirt ...Read more

Dear Annie: I need some serious help. Our son, 36, has been married for three years. In May 2024, our daughter-in-law became pregnant. We were elated. She is a nice young woman, but she does have some anxiety and other issues, which have taken a rather turbulent turn.

Unfortunately, the change in hormones and other unfounded fears caused her ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: Our dear mother passed away 2 1/2 years ago, which was very sad for me and my three siblings. Her passing happened on my adult son's birthday. I try hard to focus only on the happy occasion of celebrating my wonderful son on his day, but my older sister sends me sad messages, stories, pictures, etc., usually starting a few days before...Read more

Somewhere along the way, you may find one man you like better than the others. He may not look like Hugh Jackman, but there will be something about his sense of humor or the way he sees life that hits home. This is the moment the real challenge presents itself: to continue treating a man like your best buddy when you care about him romantically....Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I recently discovered that a new friend of mine has a different political opinion than I do. Since then, I have stopped reaching out and asking to hang out. The other day, she confronted me to ask why I've been distant. I gave her the honest truth: my morals, ethics and beliefs in equality and human rights prevent me from being ...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: A neighbor of ours would repeatedly ask my wife and me to watch his house, feed his fish and water his plants (inside and outside) when he was away. And the requests keep getting bigger: collect his mail, watch out for a UPS package, water his tomatoes.

In the latest episode, he stated that he would give us the keys at 7:30 ...Read more

Dear Annie: My 19-year-old daughter -- she'll be 20 in July -- is a sophomore at Charleston College. She came home for spring break and informed my husband and me that she had found her soul mate at Charleston, and they plan to marry this summer. He's 24 and a graduate student teaching English.

She wants to go back to school in the fall as ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: My wife and I have been married for four years. When we got married, we were both monogamous. We wanted kids and a classic nuclear family, and our interests and political beliefs were similar. We had three kids in 15 months and received no help from anyone.

I wasn't the perfect husband. I sought out other women via online dating ...Read more

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