ArcaMax

Dear Annie: I never thought I'd be writing, but here I am. I was a single mother and struggled to raise my children without help. They are all good kids.

One daughter, "Susan," lives 2,000 miles away from the rest of the family. She left home early, went to the big city and educated herself. She is the only member of the family to have a degree...Read more

Dear Annie: My wife is addicted to playing games on her smartphone. She lies in bed in the morning playing games before she gets ready for work. When she comes home, she is often on the phone when she walks through the door. When we sit down for supper (which I usually make), she plays games while we eat. At bedtime, she lies in bed with her ...Read more

Dear Annie: My wife is addicted to playing games on her smartphone. She lies in bed in the morning playing games before she gets ready for work. When she comes home, she is often on the phone when she walks through the door. When we sit down for supper (which I usually make), she plays games while we eat. At bedtime, she lies in bed with her ...Read more

Dear Annie: I am a man in my 50s with a lot of problems. First, my wife of nearly 20 years left me for a much younger man. (She now lives in a foreign country.) For three years, I've been raising three kids alone. I'm underemployed and nearly broke. Despite my education and years of experience, I can only find part-time, low-paying work. My kids...Read more

Dear Annie: My pregnant granddaughter smokes. She has switched to electronic cigarettes, telling her husband that these are completely safe and will not affect the baby in any way. She also claims there is no danger of secondhand smoke.

I say if you are sucking into your lungs any vapor with nicotine, it will affect the unborn child. And when ...Read more

Dear Annie: Six months ago, I was fired for stealing from my job. I was too embarrassed to tell anyone, so I lied -- to my parents, my friends, everybody. I told them I quit so I could go back to school.

Then I lost my house because I didn't have the money to pay the mortgage. My parents told me that I'm almost 40 and need to stand on my own ...Read more

Dear Annie: I am 44 years old and have been married for 12 years. This is my first marriage and her third.

My wife had a yearlong affair with a co-worker. We tried counseling, but her inability to end the affair forced me to move out, although we have not divorced. I also found out that her two previous marriages ended because of her infidelity...Read more

Dear Annie: My husband and I are in our early 50s. We have been married for one year and have not been intimate for six months. Until he transferred to a second-shift job, our bedroom was exciting. Now I'm not allowed to touch him. Anything more than a hug and he pushes me away. I miss how we once were. He says he hasn't been feeling well but ...Read more

Dear Annie: I am in a relationship with a widower. He is a thoughtful person and works two jobs. His two adult sons live in his home with their girlfriends. Neither of the boys pays rent. Nor do they buy groceries or cleaning supplies. They never offer to take their father out to dinner or do anything special for him. Their father buys their ...Read more

Dear Annie: My girlfriend broke up with me in April because she wanted to date another guy. Over the summer, she sent me random emails and text messages about various things, a few of which I answered out of politeness.

In September, we both attended the funeral of a mutual friend. I let her know that I wasn't totally over her, but I was doing ...Read more

Dear Annie: We have five grown children. One of our sons, "Mark," obtained a contractor's license and asked to remodel our kitchen and bathroom so he could show his work to potential customers. He said the only cost to us would be for materials, which he estimated to be about $300.

Mark has always been a troubled kid and stubborn to a fault. He...Read more

Dear Annie: Four months ago, I joined a nonprofit that provides free tutoring and homework help to elementary-school kids. When I started, the kids coming into our center were from low-income minority and immigrant families. These were kids who would be home alone all afternoon if they didn't come to us.

A few weeks ago, the demographic shifted...Read more

Dear Annie: For many years, your compassionate readers have brightened the lives of America's hospitalized veterans by participating in the Valentines for Vets program during Salute to Hospitalized Veterans Week (Feb. 12-18). This program encourages readers to deliver valentines and visit with veterans at their local Department of Veterans ...Read more

Dear Annie: I am a divorced, 53-year-old female living in Las Vegas, and I have a divorced sister who lives in South Carolina. I am retired and work part time. My sister also is retired, but shortly after she moved to South Carolina, she was unable to walk or stand for any length of time. Doctors said a broken back from an accident years ago was...Read more

Dear Annie: I am a 26-year-old guy who is pretty quiet. I really don't go out anywhere except to the mall on weekends.

A few months ago, a girl started working at one of the places I frequent. I could tell she was interested in me the first time I saw her, and she has become increasingly friendly. She recently asked me what my name is.

I like ...Read more

Dear Annie: My husband and I are friends with a couple I'll call "Rusty and Cathy." We like their company, but we have very few of the same interests. The problem is, they believe that if a husband and wife do not share the same interests, it is OK for the husband to spend time with other women who do.

I believe this is setting the stage for ...Read more

Dear Annie: I have been married to "Dennis" for 15 years. The first 10 were pretty good, but this last year has been miserable.

We have four children, all under age 8. Dennis works during the week, and I work weekends so one of us can always be home with the kids. We've had this set-up for four years, and it was working just fine.

Seven months...Read more

Dear Annie: I've been with "Max" for nearly four years, and we recently moved in together. We got along great until Max became very needy and suspicious. He works days, and I work nights. If he calls home and I don't answer the phone, he flips out. He calls me at work at least three times a day, and gets me out of bed after I've had only a few ...Read more

Dear Annie: My young-adult son, "Elliot," delivers pizza for one of the top chains. His assistant manager constantly harasses my son about being gay, which he is not. He even has gone so far as to write things in the bathroom.

Would this qualify as sexual harassment? Elliot already has complained to the local manager and the area manager, and ...Read more

Dear Annie: My 32-year-old daughter, "Carla," has never had a date or a boyfriend, although she has had lots of crushes that have never been returned. I suspect it's because she is very overweight (about 100 pounds), and this has been a bone of contention in our relationship since childhood. I have learned not to talk about it since it ...Read more