ArcaMax

Dear Annie: I have been married for 50 years and don't think I can stand one more day. The man I am married to was once everything to me. Now, as each day passes, I grow more resentful. I like him less and less, almost to the point of hatred.

He has always been a good provider. He worked while I stayed at home and raised our five children. Back...Read more

Dear Annie: I am six months into a separation from my husband of seven years. (The separation was his idea.) I thought our relationship was solid and was completely blindsided when he told me he felt deserted and lonely.

While I am still hoping for reconciliation, I have recently begun seeing someone else. My relationship with Mr. New is of the...Read more

Dear Annie: My friend, "Andrea," is in her early 20s and concerned about her mother, "Joan." Joan has been diagnosed with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, and she has abused prescription and other drugs for as long as Andrea can remember.

A few years ago, Joan was put on disability due to a work accident. She used to have a regular doctor, ...Read more

Dear Annie: My husband and I raised my three children with very little help from their birth father. He paid no child support and rarely visited them.

Of course, now that the children are adults, Dad is back in the picture. My children are so hungry for what they feel they missed that they've left me behind in the dust. I do understand this on ...Read more

Dear Annie: I would like to know why stores allow people to bring their pets inside. I have seen dogs sitting in the carts with their blankets as the owners push through the store. I often see one particular owner at the same store. She appears to like the attention the dog brings, as she stands and talks a lot to anyone who passes.

My grandson...Read more

Dear Annie: My son, "Robert," is 50 years old. He has no contact with his older sister or me.

When Robert was 13, my husband and I divorced. His father was a troubled person. He was a typical old-fashioned European father who believed in physical punishment, and used a belt when disciplining his son. I tried to protect Robert, and this often ...Read more

Dear Annie: My in-laws have always caused problems, but things have escalated since my husband and I had children. They live 30 minutes away, but they refuse to visit. When our second child was born, they didn't come to my baby shower or to the hospital. When they finally visited, they didn't even look at the baby. They won't FaceTime to see the...Read more

Dear Annie: While my mother was still alive, she gave a substantial amount of money to my oldest son, "Rick." Everyone but Mother knew she was supporting his drug habit (which he has since overcome). When she died, her will gave equal amounts of money to both of my sons. My younger son, "Chris," was hurt by his grandmother's lopsided generosity ...Read more

Dear Annie: I am 17, married, with a 1-year-old daughter. I am doing amazingly well for a teen mom. My husband and I have a house and car, I'm finishing school, and we are both working.

Before we moved into our house, we lived with my husband's father and brother. When my brother-in-law expressed interest in getting a dog, I told him that ...Read more

Dear Annie: I have a fiancee whom I love and cherish. She has a 2-year-old son from another relationship and I accept and enjoy this child. The boy's father was physically and verbally abusive toward my fiancee, and I believe the guy is still unbalanced from drug use. He has no interest in being with his son.

A year ago, my fiancee and I were ...Read more

Dear Annie: My husband and I were close friends with another couple for 35 years. We took trips abroad with them, attended their parties and invited them to all of our special occasions.

About five years ago, the husband left the wife for another woman. He then retired and moved to a town 30 miles away. We still see him on rare occasions. When ...Read more

Dear Annie: I am in a sorority and proudly wear my Greek letters. However, when I go outside the campus, I receive a lot of negative feedback. People assume things about me that are not true, and this can be very hurtful. They think I haze, hang out promiscuously with frat boys, drink, do drugs and care only about getting a "Mrs." degree.

Let ...Read more

Dear Annie: I am a 12-year-old boy with a problem. My dad died when I was a baby, so it's just my mom, my 22-year-old brother "Jason" and me. Mom works two jobs, so I don't see her that much. Basically, Jason has taken care of me.

Jason is my hero. He helps me with my homework, takes me places and protects me. He planned his college classes ...Read more

Dear Annie: My mother has never been a big eater, but in the past year, she seems to have developed a serious eating disorder. At age 62, she skips meals regularly and has shrunk to a bony 90 pounds. Her skin is sagging, her hair is thinning, and she is very irritable.

Mom acts superior about her size and often criticizes other peoples' weight ...Read more

Dear Annie: My wife and I have been together for 10 years and married for two. I still work full time, but my wife took early retirement last spring and now she spends weeks at a time visiting different members of her family.

When she is gone, she rarely answers her phone. I've noticed that when she's away, I sleep and eat more, rarely ...Read more

Dear Annie: An old flirtation recently resurfaced in my life, and we've enjoyed getting reacquainted. There's even a possibility of a long-term relationship. We are both in our 60s, so a late-in-life romance is fun and comforting.

The problem is, I accidentally discovered his interest in videos of pubescent girls, around 11 or 12 years old. He ...Read more

Dear Annie: I work with two women who turn on the air conditioning first thing in the morning. This happens year-round, including cold winter days. One of them claims to be hot even on below-freezing days with the windows open.

I've talked to my manager, who is warm and comfy in her office. The manager is sympathetic, but one of these women is ...Read more

Dear Annie: Even though my older sister and I are in our senior years, I believe that she has never overcome her competitiveness and resentment toward me.

As the other members of our immediate family have sadly passed away, one would think that we would become closer, since we are the only ones left. However, I believe she is in denial about ...Read more

Dear Annie: My 28-year-old son, "Jack," was married six weeks ago. He and his bride have known each other since high school, so I thought I knew her pretty well.

Her parents paid for the majority of the wedding, and during the planning, I made myself available for any task that came my way, offering to take care of many odds and ends. My three ...Read more

Dear Annie: I have been taking care of my mother since I was 17 and she was disabled from a car accident and unable to work. I am now 47, and Mom is 72. Her health is getting worse, so my husband and I recently moved her in with us. My husband and I both work full time. I have caregivers who come in during the day when we are at work, and we ...Read more