ArcaMax

DEAR HARRIETTE: I recently went to goat yoga, and it was a horrible experience. The goats were going wild and defecating everywhere. I had seen so many cute videos online of people doing yoga with baby goats climbing on their backs, and I thought it would be a fun and relaxing way to spend a Saturday with some friends. Instead, it felt chaotic ...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: When my husband died, his old girlfriend crawled out of the woodwork and wrote a tribute on his memory page about their "relationship from years in the past."

This was extremely hurtful to me. I feel like writing a response to her in the comment section of what she wrote.

GENTLE READER: Please don't. Let your friends be ...Read more

Dear Annie: I have been with "Garrett" for over four years now. I have a son who is 9, and we share a daughter, 3. I was a single mom for four years before I met Garrett, so I did everything on my own.

Garrett is always willing to make my lunch for work, clean after I get home from work, do laundry, etc. so I can relax. My problem is I tend to ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I'm a gay man who has been married to a wonderful man for seven years (together for 12). Throughout our relationship, my husband has struggled with religious trauma that affects his desire (and ability) to be intimate. We've seen counselors, talked through it and addressed the value we place on physical intimacy. Nothing has changed. ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: My father is a little larger and doesn't properly take care of himself, and I believe it's starting to affect his health. My family and I tried walking around New York City, and after 15 minutes, we had to stop at a park bench. He was panting, and I genuinely thought he might have been having a heart attack. He has high blood ...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: It is like a compulsion for many people to forward emails they've received, usually filled with jokes and such. To my surprise, many seem to enjoy those emails.

I stopped everybody from forwarding me those emails by telling them the truth: If I want jokes, I will buy a book of jokes. I have TV sets, radios, newspapers and all...Read more

Dear Annie: I've been friends with "Jessie" for several years, but lately, I've been feeling like the friendship is one-sided. I'm always the one reaching out, making plans and putting in the effort. Jessie has been responding to my texts with one-word answers, if at all.

I value our friendship a lot, but I'm starting to question whether she ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: My husband's best friend died when we were in our early 30s. His son, "Marty," recently moved back to the area with his wife and three boys. We think of them as family.

My husband often needs help with heavy handyman jobs. (I was diagnosed with cancer and am unable to help him.) He frequently recruits Marty for this kind of help, and...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I am struggling with social media. I am making a career pivot, so it is a beautiful time for me as I make new discoveries and explore new skills, but it is also a scary and intimidating chapter. Social media has its pros and cons for this season that I'm in, and I'm trying to decide whether the good outweighs the bad. On one hand...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I am a 25-year-old-lawyer who worked as a law clerk for a year before passing the bar exam. When I accompany the partner to hearings where a client is present, I invariably get asked whether I am still in law school or how I like being a paralegal.

What is the appropriate response? Also, when I am in the office, sometimes ...Read more

Dear Annie: I'm feeling torn between pursuing my dream and maintaining my financial stability. I have a job as an accountant making six figures, but it's boring work -- so boring that I dread getting out of bed every morning. The days go by slowly, and I find myself living for the weekend.

On the other hand, I've had a passion for photography ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: For years, my only daughter and I got along pretty well. Then she stopped visiting or speaking to us, meaning we didn't see our grandchildren or my son-in-law. That went on for six to eight years. Suddenly, she has responded on Facebook but refuses to tell me what the problem was.

When you don't communicate with somebody for this ...Read more

Sigmund Freud wrote: "From being in love to hypnosis is evidently only a short step. The respects in which the two agree are obvious. There is the same humble subjection, the same compliance, the same absence of criticism, towards the hypnotist just as towards the loved object. There is the same absorption of one's own initiative. ... The ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: As my parents get older, they are focusing more on organizing their affairs and estate planning. With that comes some tough decisions. I am the oldest of four children, and naturally, my parents default to me for certain things. When we were growing up, my parents acquired several properties, and they purchased them in my name ...Read more