ArcaMax

Dear Susan: I used to only date men who were taller than me. But now I'm engaged to someone almost 3 inches shorter than I am, and honestly, he's such a great person I couldn't care less. (From the internet)

Dear Blogger: At last, good sense makes a comeback! (I don't know your age, but I'll bet my shiny new printer you're upwards of 30. That ...Read more

Dear Annie: I'm freshly moved out of my parents' house. It's a really exciting time for me! I'm gaining so much long-awaited independence. I'm thrilled to have this opportunity for self-growth and exploration. I live with a few friends, too, which is an awesome bonus. But what I'm struggling with is managing bills.

While I'm experienced at ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I have a young, preteen grandson who is asking his parents facts of life questions. They are bewildered about how to give him the information. I'd be grateful if you could share details of the publication you have for this purpose and how to get it. -- GRANDMOM IN CLINTON TOWNSHIP, MICH.

DEAR GRANDMOM: Many parents find the subject ...Read more

Dear Annie: My beloved mother-in-law passed away two years ago. We had a church funeral and a celebration of her life.

My father-in-law had the body cremated. He intends to have the ashes buried in the family plot in New York, 1,200 miles away, although he hasn't done so yet. On more than one occasion, he has informed my husband that he wants ...Read more

Dear Carolyn:

My grandfather is in his 90s. He's in great health overall, is mentally very sharp, and lives very close to family. My mother has taken to lying to him when she has something planned that my grandfather will not be participating in -- a family portrait, for example, or a vacation, at least up until the point that we leave -- ...Read more

I'm a 36-year-old single man. I see buying a woman dinner as a nice part of courting. Lately, however, women keep pretending to be interested in me only to vanish after I've taken them out for an expensive dinner. How can I avoid women who just want to use me as a meal ticket? -- Duped

A first date should be an opportunity to get ...Read more

Dear Annie: I am a grandmother who is seeking your advice about my married granddaughter. Her father is my son. Her parents divorced when the children were quite small. My son was awarded custody of my granddaughter and her brother. We did our best to provide help to our son and the children. The mother has a drug addiction. We provided ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: My husband and I have been married for three years. He's 26, and I'm 28. We have a good life, and he loves my 9-year-old daughter like his own child.

My husband is originally from Turkey and comes from a good family. However, I have yet to meet my in-laws. He avoids talking about my meeting them. I have talked to his younger sister ...Read more

Dear Annie: My wife and I are a little concerned about our 30-year-old daughter, "Amber." Every day, she spends an hour brushing her teeth and five full minutes washing her hands and then rechecks the same things about five times.

Amber says she can't control it and it's hard to stop. This has been going on for a little over a year. Is this ...Read more

Dear Annie: My husband and I are very close. We have been married for 27 years and agree on most things and share many common interests. There is only one issue where we differ, and I'd like to hear suggestions for how I can help him to change, so he will join me in my daily walks.

I love to walk, and I make it a point to walk at least two ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: My sister and I are 42 and 50. Our parents divorced 30 years ago, and Dad has been remarried for about 20 years. Although he lives across the country, we see him twice a year and have what I think is a healthy, strong relationship.

Over the past 10 years, he and his wife have been taking international hiking trips abroad. Before they...Read more

Dear Annie: Every year, my grandmother and I go to my cousins' house for Christmas. This year is different for me. I have had the miracle of God helping me overcome some major addictions in my life.

I've expressed to my uncle that I do not feel like I know who my cousins are now that we are adults and have lost touch to some extent. There are ...Read more

Dear Annie: My mother very sadly passed away in January from cancer. She had a ring of my grandfather's that was very special to her, and I wanted to have it because I knew how much it meant to her. My stepfather gave it to me.

Now, last week, my grandmother (her mother) who has pretty much always made both my mother and me feel like second-...Read more

Dear Annie: My husband and I have three children, two of whom recently graduated college. We knew the dates of the graduations five months in advance, and we told my mother, the only grandparent they have. We told her how much we wanted her to attend and celebrate the accomplishments of her two oldest grandchildren. She said she couldn't attend ...Read more

Dear Annie: My older brother is disabled. He was quite functional after he first had a stroke, but did not take care of himself. He wouldn't take his medications, ate unhealthy food, drank too much and watched TV all day.

As a result, he is now very disabled. Has difficulty walking, talking, falls a lot and cannot control his bodily functions...Read more