ArcaMax

I'd argue that I'm not a hoarder. My husband would like to contest that. I explained to him that a middle-class life is not complete without a drawer of odds and ends in the kitchen. He said that one drawer sounds plausible, "but," he said, and started to point at more than one drawer around the kitchen that could fit the bill.

However, my ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: After many years living near and helping my parents, I moved to another state to retire. My dad died three months after I moved. I begged my mother to let me fly back and help her with his arrangements, but she insisted I stay put.

Some weeks later, and two days after we had talked on the phone, she secretly buried my dad's ashes ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: My brother is moving to rural Vietnam for a year to teach English, and I don't think this is a good idea. My brother can't stick to any commitment to save his life, and this experience doesn't seem like it is likely to go any differently. He gets excited about new opportunities all the time, but once the excitement wears off, he ...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: Whenever someone brings donuts into the office, there are always a few people who cut a donut in half and leave one half in the box.

I feel this is rude, as it is unappetizing to see food that has been cut up and left. I understand they only want half a donut, but I feel they should take the whole thing and throw half away, ...Read more

Dear Annie: I sit here writing to you starting another week much like the past six months of this year: depressed by the way time has altered my life.

I'm 76 and married. My routine rarely changes. I wake up, listen to the news and eat breakfast. I straighten up the house and make the bed. I sometimes go shopping or have doctor's visits. I ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I have two best friends going back to third grade (we're in our 30s now) and one older sister. I'm the last in my friend group to get married. My fiancee and I are eloping this summer. We already own a house and need nothing, so I told my mother and sister that a bridal shower is unnecessary. Plus, since we are eloping, I felt it rude...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: One of my childhood friends and his wife moved to my city about a year ago. While I've known him forever, I've grown much closer to his wife since they relocated. I genuinely enjoy her company, and I know the transition has been harder for her since she doesn't have many friends here yet. That said, I'm starting to feel a little ...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: As we are in an election year, help me figure out what to say when a friend asks for your political endorsement, but you think she would be terrible in that elected position. I love this friend dearly, but she absolutely does not have the temperament for the job.

GENTLE READER: Maybe, for the sake of the friendship, do not ...Read more

Dear Annie: The doctor I have been seeing for over 20 years has decided to discontinue her practice in the town I live in and move to another town. I can't get to that town, so I've asked friends to recommend their doctors. But I'm dreading having to set up an appointment with a completely unfamiliar doctor.

How do I get over the anxiety of ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: My husband has a twin brother and a younger brother. After I met his family, it became clear that his parents openly favor his twin, "Kaden." Based on childhood stories my husband and other family members told me, his parents have spent most of their time, energy and money on Kaden. Previously, it made sense. Kaden had health problems...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I'm looking to level up in my career, and I want to pursue a master's degree. I'm someone who does not want to accumulate too much debt, based on milestones that I see in my future. I have no issue with higher education, and I don't have much anxiety around the program itself; I am just more concerned about making sure I have ...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: Is it rude to host an outdoor event at our home and limit the indoor access to restroom use only?

My husband is one of seven siblings, who are all married with multiple children; some of those children are grown and married with children, as well. Needless to say, our combined immediate family is very large. We come from ...Read more

Dear Annie: I am an 86-year-old mother of three children, a grandmother of six and great-grandmother of eight. We have always had a great relationship with our children.

Our youngest daughter, who has always been close to us, went through a stressful divorce. Her husband had an affair, and she divorced him. She always came home every few ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I've been with my wife for 23 years. We have three kids and are in our early 40s. My wife has always struggled with her weight, but two years ago she started a plan and has been successful. Her weight loss has prompted me to notice her more, and I've noticed as I've paid more attention to her in the last few years that she has a ...Read more

When career becomes life and there are virtually no boundaries in between, work is no longer a connection. How could it possibly be? There's nothing it can connect you to! In the same way an alcoholic hides behind a bottle, you could be using your work to protect yourself from life beyond the office walls. If so, you could wake up at age 60 with...Read more