ArcaMax

DEAR HARRIETTE: My husband and I got into a fight, and I feel like it revealed a lot about what he thinks about me. For context, I was going on a work trip for two days, and I asked my husband if he could take care of the dog and be there when the handyman came over to fix our bathroom sink. I had already scheduled the time when the handyman was...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: When did people become so insecure that they take offense at pretty much everything?

I've noticed a huge shift. Compliments given by strangers are now considered an insult or an attack against their feelings. A mom is insulted, a woman with a pretty hairstyle is offended, someone with a nice outfit is annoyed. "You look nice ...Read more

Dear Annie: I think my partner is slipping away from me, and I do not know how to reach for her without breaking both our hearts.

My wife, "Laura," is 68. We have been together for 40 years. She has always been the organized one. When the kids were young, she could tell you where every permission slip, tax form and missing sock lived in our ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I am in my early 30s and happy in certain aspects of my life: I recently moved to a house and married a man I love very much. I have friends, hobbies and dreams. One of these dreams is to be a novelist, although I do marketing for a tech company right now.

This brings me to my problem: I have been feeling depressed by my job. Working...Read more

Dear Annie: I am starting to feel like my whole life is lived through a screen, and I am ashamed to admit how much control my phone seems to have over me.

I am 42 and married, with two kids in middle school. On paper, things are fine. In reality, I spend more time scrolling than actually living my life. I pick up my phone "just to check one ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: My ex-husband and I were best friends. We shared everything -- dreams, laughs and struggles. I was convinced we'd grow old together. When he proposed, I said yes without hesitation. We had plans to start a family, but he asked me to wait until we purchased a home. I waited five years, trusting that the dream we had built together was ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I don't feel secure in my current relationship. I feel like the guy I have been seeing is going to ghost when it takes him a while to respond, even if things seem fine on the surface. We have this odd dynamic where I am always excited about anything he suggests for a date, but whenever I try to initiate the plans, he has a weird ...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I was in my friend's wedding a year ago, and now her anniversary is coming up. However, in the last six months, it does not seem like the marriage is going well, and I'm honestly not sure if the couple is still together.

This leads me to wonder whether I should even mention her anniversary on the day. I think texting "Happy ...Read more

Dear Annie: My son lives at home, but he has no interest in talking to me. He doesn't eat meals with me and my husband. He just stays in his room and comes downstairs to cook his own food, which is invariably a pan-fried sandwich, possibly with air-fried breaded chicken, followed by crisps and a packet of biscuits. It's a shame. I'd love to have...Read more

DEAR ABBY: Two years ago, my husband was told that our adult child's partner had tested positive for COVID two days before we were scheduled to visit them. My husband -- a forever Good Time Charlie -- decided not to inform me. Neither of us at that point had contracted COVID. We had taken every precaution we could to avoid it.

I have MS, which ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I'm struggling with this weird competitive energy between me and one of my classmates. On the surface, we're friendly -- we study together, share notes, even joke about motivating each other. But lately, it feels like our "friendly competition" is not so friendly anymore. If I do well on an assignment, they make little comments ...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I have a friend from childhood who is a wealthy, narcissistic hoarder. This means she spends all her time buying needless crap from the bargain bins of every box store you can imagine. For example, she'll buy several blenders just because they are on sale -- not because she needs one.

Her house is filled with this junk. I ...Read more

Dear Annie: My sister-in-law has disliked me for as long as I can remember. I've never fully understood why, but over the years she's made her feelings clear in a hundred small ways -- cold shoulders at family gatherings, pointed comments and a general effort to keep me at arm's length. I've always tried to rise above it for the sake of the ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: My son died of cancer at 33. It was heartbreaking. My daughter-in-law, "Belinda," had grown distant before his death, and although they had a son through artificial insemination, I have almost never seen him. I helped with the weeding in my son's yard, but any time I came, Belinda always had the baby at the park or someplace else.

...Read more