ArcaMax

DEAR HARRIETTE: For our whole lives, my cousin has had it so much easier than me. Our moms are sisters, and we were born only a year apart. Growing up, her family was significantly wealthier and more connected than mine. As a result, she went to Harvard and became a dermatologist, and her husband got super rich from selling a tech company he ...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I am very fortunate to have found a number of good companions through my active participation in local clubs. However, most of my new friends are a generation or more older than I.

They are wonderful people, and I am grateful for their kind interest in me. Yet I find it uncomfortable when I am asked about my family.

I ...Read more

Dear Annie: I am desperate to declutter our house, but my husband has a very hard time letting go of anything. Our closets are overflowing, the garage is packed, and we have boxes of things we haven't opened in years. There are old tools, clothes that no longer fit, broken electronics, stacks of paperwork and even things from hobbies he hasn't...Read more

DEAR ABBY: Two years ago, I ran into an old friend I hadn't seen in more than 25 years. We went to dinner the following week. The dinner lasted three hours. Abby, she talked the entire time! It was a mix of grandiose stories, complaints about her health, complaints about her relationships and an attempt to make me feel guilty for not contacting ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I'm dating someone new, but we're having a hard time finding things we want to do together. I don't mean to sound posh, but I do enjoy getting dressed up and going to shows, nice dinners, live performances and more. The guy I'm dating is quite different from me. Much of his life revolves around health, fitness and training. He ...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: You are a very stupid person if you truly believe that wearing white shoes after Labor Day is a breach of "etiquette." It really doesn't matter what color your shoes are, especially after a specific date or time. It is completely appalling that anyone would live by these rules you so vigorously advocate for.

I do believe that...Read more

Dear Readers: Wishing you all a very happy Labor Day. The expectation of this holiday is to take the day off, put our feet up and enjoy the last stretch of summer.

How many of you are actually able to take the time to reset and rest today?

We say we are going to relax, and then we answer a few emails. We clean the kitchen. We run to the ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I'm a single mother of an 18-year-old son with autism. I have known "Cliff" for more than 20 years. We live on opposite coasts. I want to be with him and he with me, though he doesn't want my son to live with us at this time. He wants it to be just the two of us for a while. Abby, my son is not able to live on his own. Do you have any...Read more

Years ago, during the hot months in the desert, I adopted a short house dress style that I change into when I come home from work. I have probably about six that I rotate, but the original is old. It's old enough that a picture of my son and me when he was a baby included that dress. He's about to turn 11. I still wear that dress.

It is not ...Read more

Dear Annie: I travel fairly often from Miami to Europe and California, and lately I've been thinking I need to change the way I do it. I'm at the point where I'd honestly rather take fewer trips and enjoy them more than squeeze myself into economy for hours just to save money.

I'd love to fly business class about five times a year and maybe ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: My husband and I have been married for eight years. For the most part, we are happy, but there is one thing that upsets me. He doesn't like to have people over for social events. In fact, I can't get him to participate in any social outing without him moaning and complaining the entire time.

I enjoy getting together with friends and ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: My boyfriend and I are struggling to make time for each other. He started a new career as a professional bodyguard a few months back, so his schedule is now the opposite of mine. He works with a lot of entertainers and athletes, which leads to him working mostly at night and nearly all weekend. I, on the other hand, work a ...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I was hiking in a beautiful country that proclaims itself more polite than the U.S. On a "leashed dogs only" hiking trail, two local women approached with an unleashed dog that tried to eat my only sandwich.

I said, "Ladies, I don't know if you're aware, but there's a leash law in this park." (There's a huge sign at the ...Read more

Dear Annie: I'm 74 and just moved in with my younger sister. Since I've been here, I've noticed she's drinking more than I remember her drinking before, close to a bottle of wine nearly every night. She otherwise seems fine. She's still doing her gardening, cooking meals for herself and meeting up with friends.

But still -- this can't be good...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I am a 62-year-old man. I was born with a cleft lip and cleft palate. Growing up, I had several surgeries and much dental work to improve my appearance. I had wonderful friends who never teased me about it.

Now, looking back at my childhood, I realize that my father hated me because of the way I looked when I was born. He has never ...Read more