ArcaMax

Dear Annie: My half-brother and his wife are old enough to be my parents. He is quite well-to-do and so are his children. I am only six years older than his oldest child and have always felt more like one of his kids than his sister, especially after my parents died.

However, I am never invited to spend holidays with them. I was widowed 25 ...Read more

Dear Annie: I am a 23-year-old female who recently moved to a new town. I have met a few guys, but it never seems to go anywhere. I can't seem to find someone who wants anything more than sex. I used to sleep around, but I'm more mature now, and I value myself enough not to throw my body at every guy I meet. I've learned from my mistakes.

Not a...Read more

Dear Annie: When my father passed away, I moved in with my mother to help with her bills. Five years later, I've paid off her mortgage and continue to live with her and pay her utilities.

I now have the opportunity to purchase my own home. At age 33, I feel I need my own space. The predicament is, Mom cares for my ailing sister and her son ...Read more

Dear Annie: I read with great interest the letter from "At My Wits End," whose rude neighbors take up too many parking spots on her street.

We had a similar situation a few years back. After several attempts to resolve the problem, I waited until the street was empty of cars due to street cleaning. I then called all of my friends and had them ...Read more

Dear Annie: I met my husband in college. He was outgoing, handsome and a star athlete. We now have two beautiful babies and, I thought, a perfect marriage.

A month ago, we had dinner with a couple we've known for years. One of them said something about "bisexuals," to which I replied, "There is no such thing. You are either gay or straight." ...Read more

Dear Annie: My wife and I have been married for 30 years and we've had the same problem all of that time. She doesn't have an outside job, but she doesn't do much around the house, either. She doesn't clean and rarely cooks. It is always up to me to tidy up. I am forever picking up stuff, clearing piles of papers and eating mostly store-bought ...Read more

Dear Annie: Several years ago my brother-in-law died. He had been married to my older sister for 50 years. They had no children. She did not want to live alone, nor did she want to live with a roommate. In order to solve the situation, I sold my home and bought a duplex where she could live in one unit and I would live in the other. This ...Read more

Dear Annie: In October, I visited my family in France. Three weeks after I returned home, the terrorist attacks occurred. My husband was out of town and I was all alone. My family in France, thankfully, was safe.

I consider myself a loyal friend. However, only one person called to ask about my family and about me. That person was actually a ...Read more

Dear Annie: I'm 48 and have been married to my beautiful wife for 21 years. Lately, whenever we argue, she will withhold sex. This could be anywhere from a week to three months. And she won't talk about it.

This is putting a huge strain on our relationship. We've been to counseling for a year, but it hasn't helped. She tells me that men my age ...Read more

Dear Annie: Six years ago, our son married a woman with a 4-year-old daughter. We immediately fell in love with this little girl. There is no biological father in the picture, and her maternal grandparents live out of state. We have always told her that we consider her to be our granddaughter, with everyone's blessing.

This will be the second ...Read more

Dear Annie: I'm a 70-year-old woman, respectable, attractive, well-educated, retired and totally self-sufficient. I owe no one anything and ask for nothing.

The problem is my family. Although I have always treated them with kindness and respect, they are extremely disrespectful and spiteful to me. My narcissistic drama queen "victim" sister, ...Read more

Dear Annie: My wife and I have been married for a long time. In the last couple of years, she has developed an incontinence problem. She seems not to be aware of how bad it is. She leaves rather fragrant underwear in the hamper, and the odor is horrible. If I bring up the subject, she gets very angry. She is in denial.

I wish I could suggest to...Read more

Dear Annie: My pay isn't great, but it's better than minimum wage. I get no benefits, and my boss refuses to train me for anything more skilled than what I'm doing now, because he needs me for the lowest position. I ride a bike to work, and he often has me work at multiple locations in the area, sending me to pick up supplies.

Recently, he ...Read more

Dear Annie: Am I out of the loop or just a prude? It bothers me to see a mother cradling her infant child, one latching off and on to mom's exposed breast? This was the recent scene in the crowded men's department of a popular store.

I am certainly in favor of nursing an infant, due to the enormous benefits to both the child and the mother. I ...Read more

Dear Annie: I was raised in a devout Catholic family. When my husband and I married 30 years ago, we independently decided to leave the religious fold, but we never imposed our views on others. My eight siblings live within close proximity of each other, and I live 3,000 miles away.

Over the years, most of my family has never missed an ...Read more

Dear Annie: My wife and I are recently married, and we moved to a new town a year ago. Our neighbor is an art professor at a community college. He is a kind gentleman, and we spend a fair amount of time together, having each other over for dinners, cookouts, etc.

Last summer, he asked my wife to would work as a model for two of his drawing ...Read more

Dear Annie: "Michael" and I have been dating for two years, and I'm pretty sure that he's the one. He's smart, funny and sensitive, and we agree on most things.

One thing that we do not agree on, however, is my 15-year-old Pomeranian, "Clover." Clover has had a number of surgeries lately and for the past eight months, has needed a catheter. ...Read more

Dear Annie: I realize that this is a common issue, but I could still use some advice. When my son first married, his wife was loving and involved with the family. When the babies were born, we continued a warm relationship. Now that their children are older, however, our daughter-in-law is cold and distant, and she is not interested in ...Read more

Dear Readers: Welcome to a new year! We wish every one of you excellent health and extreme happiness. We hope this year is better than the last and not as good as the next. Do your best to make this year special. Be kinder. Be more patient. Be more tolerant. Help someone in need. The world could use these things more than ever. Vow to look after...Read more

Dear Annie: I can't believe your response to the letter from "Between a Golf Ball and a Hard Place," saying that golf balls shouldn't be cleaned in the kitchen sink.

We routinely wash fruits and vegetables in the kitchen sink, and they have dirt and chemicals on them. Fighting over which sink to wash them in is like fighting over which way to ...Read more