ArcaMax

Dear Annie: I am 40 years old and have been married to "Rick" for 19 years. We have four beautiful daughters.

For years, Rick wanted a son. I thought he had accepted that it wasn't going to happen, so I didn't protest when he formed a friendship with a 10-year-old fatherless neighbor boy. "Drew" is now 13, and he's a great kid -- kind, ...Read more

Dear Annie: I recently became engaged to my boyfriend of six years. His family and I get along great, he's my very best friend, and I am so incredibly happy. The bliss, however, is being trumped by one problem.

Before "Kevin" and I got together, he was in a relationship with "Sophia" for four years. She came from a dysfunctional family and, as ...Read more

Dear Annie: My wife and I are in our late 60s and have been married for six years. We were both widowed. We have a great deal in common and are happy together.

Our one bone of contention is her daughter. "Justine" is in her late 30s, married and living overseas. Yet every time she visits, she expects to get picked up and dropped off at the ...Read more

Dear Annie: Our son is married to a beautiful woman from India, who also happens to be bipolar. They have an adorable 16-month-old boy, and we love them all so much. While our daughter-in-law's mother had a problem with her marrying outside their culture, they now love our son as their own.

I understand quite a bit about mental illness, as I ...Read more

Dear Annie: My husband had an affair for three years. I had no idea this was going on until he told me and filed for divorce.

We have two teenage children, and I haven't talked very much with them about the situation. I've never mentioned his girlfriend. I don't even know whether he is still seeing the woman.

My daughter, who is 18, told me ...Read more

Dear Annie: I was an army medic who served two deployments in Iraq and saw more than two years' worth of war injuries. Seeing injured soldiers, many of them young, maimed and seriously wounded, while also being concerned for your own life can have an impact on you long after you are out of the situation.

After my second deployment, I relocated ...Read more

Dear Annie: I am the thrilled stepgrandmother of a wonderful grandson, age 3. I've had the privilege of taking care of him twice a week since he was born.

I decided to post his pictures on Facebook because his extended family lives all over the country and appreciates the updates on his outings and activities. I also enjoy having a computerized...Read more

Dear Annie: I have several cousins who are celebrating weddings and baby showers this summer. Several of my aunts will not attend any of these events if they are not held in a Catholic Church. They say it is against their "rules." One aunt sent a reply saying she would not attend the outdoor wedding because it was not being held in a church. ...Read more

Dear Annie: My husband and I are middle-aged empty nesters. A few years ago, we sold our old place and built our dream home. The problem is our neighbors have three young boys who can't seem to stay out of our yard.

We spent a fortune planting and landscaping, and they walk through our flower gardens and mulch beds and climb on our newly ...Read more

Dear Annie: I am a 61-year-old woman. I am retired, and I live off of my investments, which generate enough income for me to live comfortably. I have paid off my mortgage on the home in which I've lived for 30 years.

I've known "Joseph" for 25 years, but we have only begun dating in the past six months. Despite having a high-paying job, Joseph ...Read more

Dear Annie: My husband of four years insists on keeping a picture of his cat as the screensaver on his cellphone. Occasionally, he'll switch it out for a photo of one of his kids, but the cat always comes back as the "top dog." It's never a picture of me.

"Fluffy" also enjoys the top priority in other areas of our life. For instance, the day I ...Read more

Dear Annie: I believe my husband is having an emotional affair with his employee "Tina." All the signs are there.

My husband's office phone accidentally dialed me while he was talking with Tina at work, and I overheard their conversation. He called her terms of love. I started snooping and discovered that they text each other hundreds of times ...Read more

Dear Annie: My husband calls me the "Throwaway Queen." I have gotten into hot water for not asking before I trashed something. Now I think I've made a huge mistake.

My husband is now far into dementia. We are thinking of moving, so I started cleaning out storage bins. I threw away two items of my husband's that had been in those bins for years....Read more

Dear Annie: I have been married for four years. In that time, we have split up twice, and it wasn't pretty either time. We have kids together. I pushed getting married when I became pregnant at 19. Then he claimed to fall out of love with me, stopped coming home after work and began treating me like his maid. So I left and took our child. He ...Read more

Dear Annie: As a father of three, I always find Father's Day a little misleading. Kids don't have to purchase an overpriced card or tie to show their appreciation. I'd rather they simply keep doing what they are already doing: working hard in school. They don't have to be scholars or make the honor roll every time. Just doing their best is good ...Read more

Dear Annie: I have been with "Robert" for three years, and we have been through a lot. We've always had financial issues, but six months ago, we had to give up our baby girl for adoption because we couldn't care for her properly.

Emotionally, this has destroyed both of us, but thankfully, I began going to counseling early on, and it has helped....Read more

Dear Annie: Is there such a thing as an addiction to charitable giving? I cannot seem to say no to anyone with a need or a hard-luck story.

I give generously to my church, wildlife organizations, cancer funds, firefighter causes and on and on. I give to a number of animal charities. Most folks will drop a dollar or two in the Salvation Army ...Read more

Dear Annie: I am in my mid-20s and have been with my husband for seven years. Last year, while I was attending school and working, my husband started an affair. I also discovered information about his cheating dating back three years. I have found texts, social media messages and even a secret phone.

My husband doesn't know that I am aware of ...Read more

Dear Annie: I've known "Ted" all my life. About 10 years ago, I loaned him $1,000. He never repaid it, and I could really use that money now. Ted lives in a different city, and when I phone him, he refuses to discuss it.

In the past, I had given Ted money outright, but this was absolutely a loan. I made sure he knew that, but I didn't ask for a...Read more

Dear Annie: After my parents died, my sister, "Estelle," moved into our old family home. Three siblings own the house, but Estelle and her husband have lived there for the past six years, rent-free.

There were always a lot of cats in our neighborhood, and my mother used to put out food for them. Estelle now does the same, and it seems every cat...Read more