ArcaMax

Dear Annie: Two years ago, a good friend died of a heart attack. His wife, "Sally," asked me to help her get rid of his things, which I was happy to do, and I soon found myself mowing her lawn and doing chores around the house.

Here is the problem: I am a happily married man and father of four. I have been married for 25 years and love my wife ...Read more

Dear Annie: My husband's half-brother is 59 and working as a custodian. "John" does not drink or smoke and can converse well, but has a learning disability and cannot read. He tried tutors, but made no progress. He did OK while his mother was alive, but she died, and then John's wife died within the same year.

John has four adult children. One ...Read more

Dear Annie: I am Protestant, and my husband was baptized in the Catholic Church, but religion was never important to him or his family. Neither of us has converted, nor will we. My husband has attended services with me, and I have attended the occasional holiday Mass with my in-laws. I respect their faith.

Here's the problem: My mother-in-law ...Read more

Dear Annie: Please help me understand why my husband of 10 years is slowly distancing himself. We used to laugh, go to the movies, go out for dinner and breakfast on Sundays, but now he doesn't want me to touch him. He has no compassion, and there's no sex and no affection.

I've asked him why this is happening, and he simply says, "That was ...Read more

Dear Annie: I have been married to my husband for six years. A few months after the wedding, I found out he was cheating on me. I saw his cellphone while he was sleeping and noticed the messages and phone calls. He had been meeting girls from dating sites, talking to them and exchanging photographs. He also wouldn't come home till 3 or 4 a.m.

I...Read more

Dear Annie: A few years ago, I obtained a quote from a company for a manufacturing service. My business ended up not using them.

Two months later, I received an invitation from this company to an open house. I initially thought, "How nice." However, on reading further, it said a religious organization would give a presentation and donations ...Read more

Dear Annie: Before my father died, my husband and I promised him we would bring my mother to live with us after he was gone. Our home situation was perfect, although we needed to make a few renovations so Mom would be comfortable. Dad asked to approve the renovation plans, which he did, and then he said he'd give us $15,000 so we could fix the ...Read more

Dear Annie: I've been in an abusive marriage for nearly 15 years, and I can't take another day. My husband has never hit me. It's all mental and emotional abuse. He calls me horrible names in front of our children. He has constant tantrums where he screams, throws things, breaks things and threatens me, saying if I leave, he'll kill me, destroy ...Read more

Dear Annie: I've been in an abusive marriage for nearly 15 years, and I can't take another day. My husband has never hit me. It's all mental and emotional abuse. He calls me horrible names in front of our children. He has constant tantrums where he screams, throws things, breaks things and threatens me, saying if I leave, he'll kill me, destroy ...Read more

Dear Annie: Looking at me now, you would never think I struggled with mental illness. I am a second-year graduate student studying counseling psychology, and I spend my free time as a competitive equestrian, teaching therapeutic riding, practicing Brazilian jiu-jitsu and helping with at-risk youth therapeutic groups.

The truth is, as a young ...Read more

Dear Annie: I beg you to tell adult children not to massage their curiosity and egos by milking the accursed internet to chase down the other end of their parents' ancient love affairs.

I recently got a 75-year-old memory bomb -- a phone call from the daughter of an old flame from the 1930s. I had no idea there was a child from this romance. ...Read more

Dear Annie: I am a 66-year-old male. Six months ago, I lost my life partner, my love of 33 years. I was at "Michael's" hospice bedside 24 hours a day.

I always thought I had a good relationship with my partner's family, especially his sister, "Josephine." But a few days before his death, Josephine told me, "You haven't done anything for Michael...Read more

Dear Annie: My grown son is an alcoholic. It has not interfered with his job so far, but it seems to be getting worse. His father drank himself to death, and I'm so worried he will go down the same path. He absolutely won't discuss it.

Last Mother's Day, he promised to give up drinking, but a month later, I saw him guzzle two beers at a family ...Read more

Dear Annie: I'm 63 and fat, have been divorced for 20 years and live at the poverty level on social security. I am depressed and do not see the point of anything. My three adult children are grown and are truly great people. I see all of them about once a week. I also have two wonderful grandchildren. They are my only success, but they have ...Read more

Dear Annie: I'm in my late 50s, divorced with no children, and have acquired a fairly substantial estate. A year ago, I decided it was time to put my final documents in order. I looked to extended family members to divide my estate, but decided to test them first.

I contacted my sibling and then my cousin and then another cousin, etc., telling ...Read more

Dear Annie: Two months ago, I discovered that my husband had been texting and calling my oldest son's girlfriend. My son told me about it after his girlfriend asked him, "What's wrong with your father?" She said it began last June, but claimed it was only one phone call and a few texts. It made me feel ugly and unwanted.

I suspect she is ...Read more

Dear Annie: I am desperate for advice about my husband's lies. We have been together for 27 years. From the beginning, he knew that complete honesty is very important to me. I told him about my past relationships, and he told me about his. In all of our time together, he has maintained the same stories, but with enough variation to make me ...Read more

Dear Annie: I am one of 12 siblings, but the only one with multiple sclerosis. For two years, I have been without work, so I sit here daily, hoping for a visit. I know my siblings are busy, because I see photographs on social media of their many travels and moments I can only imagine having.

I'd like to ask them when was the last time they came...Read more

Dear Annie: My next-door neighbors are breeding and selling dogs illegally. Sometimes they have as many as 18 dogs in the house. The problem is having to put up with all that barking, and even worse, the smell permeates our driveway, porch and yard. It is disgusting.

We are retired and have a beautiful home. We cannot enjoy our own yard because...Read more

Dear Annie: An acquaintance of mine (I'll call her "Minnie") drops by our home once a week and stays for several hours. If we offer her a beer, she protests a little bit, but then says, "Well, OK," and then asks what kind of wine or liquor we have. She somehow makes it seem as though she is doing us a favor by accepting what we offer and then ...Read more