ArcaMax

Dear Annie: My father was in prison for my entire childhood. I am now 23 and have managed to build a good relationship with him since he was released two years ago.

Recently, Dad became very ill and stopped breathing. He was on life support for a week. Because I am his closest relative, I am in charge of his health care. I was told the damage ...Read more

Dear Annie: My father recently passed away. Dad was helping to support my 43-year-old brother, "Ben," who suffers from depression and is on disability. Ben doesn't work and spends a great deal of time in bed or buying liquor and lottery tickets. He's always just a little bit out of it, and I think his antidepressants, along with his alcohol and ...Read more

Dear Annie: My husband and I meet up with a group of family and close friends every week for lunch.

One couple in this group (a close family member and her spouse) constantly blow their noses during our get-togethers. They use cloth handkerchiefs, which are then reused multiple times, and her husband picks his nose, as well. It is nauseating to...Read more

Dear Readers: Memorial Day has become a three-day holiday of picnics and cookouts. But there is a reason for this commemoration, so please remember the servicemen and women who died serving their country. Consider visiting a veterans hospital or military cemetery and paying your respects. At 3 p.m. local time, the National Moment of Remembrance ...Read more

Dear Annie: I work in an office with 35 women, and it seems as though someone is always hating someone else. Right now, I am the target of two women.

One of these women used to be my friend, and I have no idea why she isn't any longer. I once asked her about it, but her reply surprised me. She said I took advantage of her by switching shifts so...Read more

Dear Annie: Is there any end to it? I am 68 and have been married for 44 years. My husband and I both have some health issues, but he still needs sex, or he becomes depressed and can't seem to function. My husband is also addicted to pornography and has been his whole adult life. I've looked the other way on this vice because he is otherwise a ...Read more

Dear Annie: I've been seeing (and sleeping with) "Jordan"' for eight months. We met at the gym, and I asked him out because I had an amazing feeling about him. Since then, I've become totally infatuated. He is one of the kindest men I've ever met. I thought I saw a future for us.

But the other day, Jordan casually mentioned that he needed to ...Read more

Dear Annie: I am 17 years old and still in high school. I recently became "Jake's" girlfriend. We've been dating for about a week.

I've known Jake as a friend for a year, and we hang out with the same group. I never had feelings for him until I learned that he liked me, and even then, my friends kind of pushed me into the relationship.

His ...Read more

Dear Annie: I recently dated a woman who never offered to pay for a meal, a movie or so much as an ice cream cone. We went out several times.

We're both in our late 50s and earn good incomes. She says she won't pay for things until she is in a committed relationship. I have no problem paying for anything that I invite her to. But she would ...Read more

Dear Annie: I have been with "Joe" since his wife died nine years ago. The problem is, we have different styles of communication.

At first, it wasn't too bad. I have tried to analyze our fights to see what I could do differently or what we could do together to make it better. But I have settled on the fact that Joe can never be wrong, and it ...Read more

Dear Annie: My daughter recently married for the first time. Her attendants were her three best friends. Their friendship goes back 20 years, and they still regularly get together for a girls' night out.

My daughter attended all of their weddings. For each, she hosted a bridal luncheon. At her rehearsal dinner, my daughter presented them with ...Read more

Dear Annie: I'd like to start a small business, but I'm afraid to mingle my finances with my husband's.

We have a house, which is paid off and in both of our names. I have money in my retirement account and about $10,000 in savings. When I spoke to a banker about using home equity for a down payment on a small business, the banker said my ...Read more

Dear Annie: My next-door neighbor has made my husband and me feel like prisoners in our own home.

The day we moved into our house, she stood in our front yard and asked where each piece of furniture was going to be placed in the home. When we have family and friends over for a backyard barbecue, she walks right over to the grill and interrupts ...Read more

Dear Annie: My best friend, "Clara," and I have known each other for 30 years. We're both retired and live in the same town. Neither of us has a husband. We talk on the phone every day.

We get along fine, except we have never been able to talk politics. If I don't agree with her completely, Clara gets angry. I'm not allowed to have my own ...Read more

Dear Annie: I have a problem with one of my best friends, and I hope you can help. "Monique" and I recently split the cost of a hotel room so we could enjoy a weekend of shopping and relaxation. We experienced a few problems with the room, nothing major, but Monique complained to the manager and got a coupon for a free night on her next visit. I...Read more

Dear Annie: Last week, my husband and I were able to secure tickets to a movie that had been sold out for several weeks. We looked forward to a nice evening until the lady with the popcorn and icy drink sat next to me. As soon as the movie started, she began to chomp and crunch on the popcorn, rattle the paper bag and jiggle the soda, over and ...Read more

Dear Annie: I'm a little confused about a recent development in my life. I'm a 69-year-old male. My wife died last summer after being in a nursing facility for nearly two years.

I recently went on a trip to visit some buddies. On the way, I decided to see a woman who was married to my wife's cousin. Her husband also died after a long illness. I...Read more

Dear Annie: Many years ago, "Hazel" sat next to me in high school and apparently had a crush on me. (I had no clue.) She married someone else, and her husband passed away 20 years ago. Four years later, she met "Larry," who is married and says he can't divorce because of his religion. He tells Hazel he loves her and often drops by with gifts. ...Read more

Dear Readers: Happy Mother's Day. Today would be a good time to phone your mother, grandmother, mother-in-law, stepmother or foster mother and wish them the best. And please don't forget those for whom this day is filled with sadness. Please give them a call and say you are thinking of them.

Every year, salary.com prints an article about what a...Read more

Dear Annie: I have seen my sister gradually change from a simple packrat into a full-on hoarder. When I mention my concerns to her, she gets defensive and tells me it's OK, that is just how they live now.

I am especially worried about her children growing up in such clutter and filth. To further complicate issues, my sister recently acquired a ...Read more