ArcaMax

DEAR HARRIETTE: I find myself in a difficult situation. I am currently enrolled in medical school, and although it has been a dream of mine for a long time, I'm beginning to feel overwhelmed and unsure if this is the right path for me. The intense workload and pressure are taking a toll on my mental and physical well-being. I'm considering the ...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I am curious about your opinion when TV guests are told, "Thank you for being on the show," and they reply, "Thank you." Why do so many guests skip the "You're welcome" and go directly to "Thank you," often without adding "... for having me"?

Do we no longer acknowledge thanks on radio or TV?

GENTLE READER: Actually, there ...Read more

Dear Annie: My mother separated from my father when I was 3. She left my father, who never came looking for us. She later married a wonderful man who loves me more than anything.

When I was 15, a family member was able to get in touch with my biological father. The next day, he changed his phone number.

Recently, I did a DNA test and was able ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I'm 22 and have been dating a 55-year-old man I'll call "Gerald" for a year now. Because of the difference in our ages, I have been trying to find things for us to do together so our relationship can be more than just sex. I really love Gerald and want it to work, but how do I make it work when he won't meet me halfway?

We really don...Read more

I had seen the founder of my kids' school about two months before he passed away at 102. He was masked, with a blanket draped over his legs in a wheelchair, but he was still there to support the students from his school who had their artwork showing at the local university.

Earlier in the same semester, students embarked on the yearly tradition...Read more

Dear Annie: Your responders are showing the wonderful ways they are illustrating generosity and care this season, even at the expense of their own enjoyment of the holidays. A suggestion for making those benefits available past Jan. 1 would be to adopt a school or family or shelter, and to continue that commitment. Hunger has no season. ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: There's a social club within our retirement community that meets once a month, and I have attended since moving here. During this time, I have brought new ideas and proposed new events. Everyone likes me, for which I am grateful. The current president is stepping down because he is relocating. Following his announcement, everyone was ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I'm eager to reorganize and declutter my living space. However, I have tried to do this in the past and have never been successful. What practical steps or approaches can I take to efficiently reorganize, purge belongings and create a more serene environment without feeling overwhelmed by the process? -- Declutter

DEAR DECLUTTER...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: For about a decade, my partner and I have made homemade packages of treats for about a dozen households at holiday time. These have varied slightly over the years, but usually include nuts, candies and baked goods. Sometimes a cake, some brownies or cookies.

This year, I used a different flour that included the salt and ...Read more

Dear Annie: My partner and I were surprised to find ourselves expecting with my very loved rainbow baby. We had known each other less than two years and had just moved in together. So far, my relationship with his parents had been rocky at best. Both parents drank to the point of blacking out daily, which often made them unpleasant.

When I ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: My husband's parents divorced 50 years ago when he was a newborn. Both remarried within a few years. My husband was raised by his mom and stepdad. His mother and father had little contact after their divorce. Because of that, my husband does not have a close relationship with his biological father, who made little effort to be in his ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I'm a member of an intramural volleyball team, and recently I've been facing some disrespectful comments from one of my teammates. They have been body-shaming me for my weight and making remarks about my appearance that have started to affect my confidence on and off the court. I love playing volleyball and being part of the team...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I contend that buying a round of drinks when out with friends is like giving a gift, in that one should do so without anticipation of the gesture being reciprocated. It is a way of saying, "I am grateful for your company, and here is my effort to enliven our night out."

"Bosh," says my friend: Buying a round of drinks is an ...Read more

Dear Annie: I have had dogs my whole life and treat them like members of my family. When they are sick, they go to the vet and get the medicine they need. I have spent thousands of dollars on surgeries for my dogs and recently hundreds more on blood tests and evaluations for separate issues.

My husband thinks it is ridiculous to spend this ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: Forty years ago, a neighborhood boy fathered a child with a neighborhood girl. "Billy" was 17 at the time, and "Becky" was 14 or 15. Both were friends of mine. They were not a steady couple. She liked him, but I feel he used her. I heard that she married an older gentleman who accepted the baby, "Matt," as his own.

Ten years ago, I ...Read more