ArcaMax

DEAR HARRIETTE: My daughter is dating a man who is 17 years older than her, and I am livid. I told her that neither of them is likely in the relationship for honest reasons as he is a wealthy man and she is in her mid-20s.

I don't want to meet this man, but my daughter wants me to. She insists that I am judging their relationship before I've ...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: Men often do not have a tuxedo to throw on for a wedding. If they do, it is likely embarrassingly out of date. They often need to rent one for $200 to $400 -- if one is even available in their size, and it still might need alterations.

That is a lot for a guest! I chose to purchase an economical black suit to wear as a ...Read more

Dear Annie: My granddaughter has a boyfriend who keeps cheating on her -- three times now, and those are only the times I know about. Each time, she takes him back, swearing he's changed. I'm old enough to know how that story ends.

She's smart and kind, and I hate watching her with someone who doesn't treat her the way she deserves. I've ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I have been widowed for seven years. My husband served in the Air Force in Saigon during the conflict in Vietnam. We met and married shortly after he returned from his hitch overseas. We had two daughters together.

Recently, my older daughter was notified through social media that she has a half-sister, "Leiba," from a woman her ...Read more

The unmarried are in a global revolution, largely unheralded by our media, that has -- without fanfare but with unerring grace and dignity -- moved most of the world's developed countries to adopt laws giving them broad rights and protection. It is a sad irony that America, known for its pioneering spirit and respect for human rights, is still ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: My son is having a difficult time finding a job after graduating with his computer science degree. He graduated last May and still hasn't been able to land a job after applying to more than 400 job postings. He has been beside himself with anxiety, stress and embarrassment. Not being able to find a job has heavily affected his ...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: A friend is wearing me out. She and I belong to the same church and social circles, and are close to the same age. When she couldn't drive herself to church and other events due to health problems, I took her with me.

I soon found out that she seldom has a positive word to say about anyone or anything. She starts complaining ...Read more

Dear Annie: I am Jewish and have been dating a wonderful Catholic man for almost two years. We love each other and have started talking seriously about marriage. Until recently, our different religions did not seem like a problem. We respected each other's traditions, celebrated holidays with both families and never pressured one another to ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: My 33-year-old daughter is getting married, and the mothers have taken over her wedding plans. They want more than 200 guests, a full Catholic ceremony, fine wines, a full bar, plated dinner and a live band.

My daughter wants to please everyone but is not a practicing Catholic. She wants a small, intimate wedding with twinkling ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: My husband asked me for a divorce and then a week later he said he changed his mind and wanted to stay with me. I now want to divorce him because that was such an odd change of heart that I don't think his motives to stay with me are good ones. He keeps telling me it was a mistake and he said it in a moment of weakness. He says ...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: Some months ago, you asked your readers for a way of addressing strangers whose gender is not obvious, but I have not seen the answer. We need it, so as to keep from insulting unknown people when we need to get their attention and don't want to say "Hey, you."

Didn't anyone have any ideas? Did you give up?

GENTLE READER: No;...Read more

Dear Annie: My father died two years ago after more than 50 years of marriage. Since then, my mother seems to have stopped living.

She spent her entire adult life caring for my father and raising our family. She rarely did anything just for herself. My father handled the finances, made most of the decisions and was the more social one.

Now ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: My brother "Earl" and I always had a very bad relationship. When I was 6 and Earl was 13, he molested me. Actually, he took my virginity. My mother caught him but whipped both of us and told me I should have known better than to allow it to happen. Fast-forward to when I was 17. I woke up to find him lying in bed with me, stroking my ...Read more