ArcaMax

Dear Annie: I am an elementary school teacher. This year I have two 7-year-old students with major behavior issues. Both of them have threatened to bring a gun to school and shoot me and their classmates. As shocking as it is to hear this from such young children, the response from the people in charge is worse.

I reported these threats ...Read more

Dear Annie: My wife and I have been married 42 years, and she plans to retire in a few months. I am unemployed, cannot find a job and consider myself retired already.

I do the grocery shopping and have dinner on the table by the time my wife returns from work, except two days a week when we go out to eat. However, my wife won't let me touch the...Read more

Dear Annie: I'm 20 and attending college near my parents' home. Despite what my Catholic family wants, I've been exploring other religions for the past five years and have decided that Judaism is the right road for me. I want to let my family in on this process, but I'm afraid they'll react badly and insist that my Jewish fiance is swaying my ...Read more

Dear Annie: I'm in my mid-20s, and my sister is a junior in high school. "Tina" has always looked up to me as the "cool brother," and we've become buddies. I tell her my issues at work and my troubles with women, and she tells me far more than she does the rest of our family. We've grown to trust each other.

Last week when the mail arrived, my ...Read more

Dear Annie: I am a 54-year-old lesbian in a 23-year relationship. My partner and I have begun to hate traveling. Don't get me wrong. We love and enjoy exotic places, but dealing with stupid and rude people is getting old.

Our problem has to do with the ladies room. We are often mistaken for men and questioned. I don't get it. Some women seem ...Read more

Dear Annie: I have been with "Tony" for three years. When I started seeing him, I didn't realize he was still legally married to a woman who cheated on him. He promised to divorce, but things remain the same. He claims "it's just a piece of paper" and we are married in our hearts. I've tried explaining that it feels disrespectful, but he doesn't...Read more

Dear Annie: I am 32 years old and live with my girlfriend, "Sarah," who is 37. We have been together for eight months. Things were great in the beginning, but lately the relationship has been going south.

There is an ex-boyfriend who won't leave the picture, and Sarah is partly to blame. When he sends texts or calls, she deletes them so I can't...Read more

Dear Annie: I graduated from college last year. I have a modest paying job in my hometown and can afford rent. But since I am trying to save money for graduate school, I moved back in with my parents. My folks agreed. They are quite frugal and would be disappointed if I chose to spend the extra money on rent.

I have a solid relationship with my...Read more

Dear Annie: My daughter, "Ashley," is divorced and has four children. She has had numerous volatile boyfriends. The last guy sliced the tires on her car.

Ashley says I need to mind my own business, so I have been quiet about her poor choices. But her latest guy is listed in the state registry of sex offenders for molesting an 11-year-old girl ...Read more

Dear Annie: I've been married for 36 years. The first 20 were loving, but the past 16 have deteriorated to the point of despair.

My husband, "John," is now 68. Though once athletic and active, John is now frail and weak. He complains of chronic headaches and a host of other physical ailments, and worst of all, he suffers from major bouts of ...Read more

Dear Annie: I grew up with a sister who had substance abuse problems. While I studied hard, "Carla" dropped out of school and led a life of partying. My parents always made sure she was well provided for. Every time they gave her something expensive, my mother would say, "Don't worry, you will get the same in my will."

Then one day, my parents ...Read more

Dear Annie: Many years ago, my wife and I lived near my parents. After three years of putting up with their too frequent and always unannounced visits, we moved slightly farther away. My Dad is the worst offender. Mom caters to his every whim. Dad is extremely selfish and really never cares whether he intrudes.

After we moved, the drop-in ...Read more

Dear Annie: I am a teenager in the northwest. Recently, I contracted a kidney infection that was painful and needed treatment. I didn't know what I had and wasn't familiar with the symptoms, so the only thing I said to my parents was that I didn't feel well. After a few days, it got so bad that I had to go to the emergency room. I was given a ...Read more

Dear Annie: I have a question about forced touching. Let's say an 8-year-old doesn't want to hug her uncle or give Grandma a kiss. Do you force the kid to do it? Do you badger, threaten and make a fuss?

I'm wondering about this because if you tell your kid, "You have to give this person a hug" or "You have to shake their hand," aren't you ...Read more

Dear Annie: I am 55 years old and have worked at my job for 25 years. A couple of years ago, the company hired a 26-year-old guy. I have been patient, but I am reaching the end of my rope.

"Justin" cannot remember what was said the minute he hangs up the telephone. He doesn't pay attention to what he is doing. He lies all the time, and we all ...Read more

Dear Annie: My 27-year-old son, "Scott," is married with one child. Twelve years ago, Scott's mother and I divorced, and I think he is still angry about it. My ex-wife and I have both remarried, but Scott wants little to do with either of us.

Scott rarely visits. If we want to see our grandson, we have to go to his place. They did show up for ...Read more

Dear Annie: I desperately need your help. I thoroughly love my solitude. I love to garden, cook, sew and read. I grill every few weeks and make it a fantastic outdoor experience just for me.

I could hardly wait to retire so I could finally enjoy myself completely. Unfortunately, it didn't turn out that way. Between my neighbors, relatives and ...Read more

Dear Annie: My family is very conservative, and they are rather religious Christians. For the past seven years, I have known that I am gay. I tried dating boys to please my parents, but it just didn't feel right. During my senior year of high school, I went out with a few girls, but I was still very much in the closet. Now that I'm in college, ...Read more

Dear Annie: What do you do when your husband controls the money? I'm 68 years old, and for the past 10 years, "Robert" has paid the bills and has hidden the checkbook from me.

Robert told me I need to pay my own bills. He has a retirement income, and he still works. I receive Social Security. I have always been thrifty, and although I have a ...Read more

Dear Annie: I don't know how much longer I can handle my daughter and her family living in our home. Five years ago, they came here intending to stay "a few months."

My husband is ill, and he is extremely uncomfortable having no privacy and being limited to our bedroom for days at a time. I try to be kind, but I am still grieving the loss of my...Read more