ArcaMax

Dear Annie: My wife and I have been married for 30 years. Before we met, I coerced a woman into having sex. I did not use physical force, but she did not give consent. By today's standards, this was, I think, a clear case of date rape.

I have never told anyone about this, and there is little chance that we will ever encounter this woman. So my ...Read more

Dear Annie: I am an 83-year-old widow in good health. My daughter lives about two hours away. She is 50 and well educated and has been in a long-term relationship with an older retired man. She does a lot of care-giving for him and his family members.

Three years ago, my daughter lost her job during an economic downturn and has made no attempt ...Read more

Dear Annie: My husband graduated from a very prestigious art college. Early in his career, he gave away some paintings to close friends and family members.

Recently, he did a beautiful portrait for a family member who insisted on paying my husband. He happily agreed and quoted them a reasonable price. They told my husband they would get a check...Read more

Dear Annie: I am 63, and my husband, "Jake," is 67. Jake has been watching a lot of pornography. He lies over and over about how he is no longer doing it, and I slowly forgive him. But years have gone by, and I keep catching him through the history on his computer. He'll deny it until I show him the proof, and even then, he tries to squirm out ...Read more

Dear Annie: I've been dating my girlfriend for four years, and she's almost perfect. She has only one flaw: She rarely drinks, but when she does, she becomes verbally abusive and physically destructive. The following morning, I always get blamed for her being so drunk and not stopping her, but every time I try to stop her, she just drinks more. ...Read more

Dear Annie: My youngest son is engaged to "Carol," a lovely young lady. My oldest son, "Mitch," lives out of state with his partner, "James." Both are in the wedding party.

Carol has known Mitch for years, is well aware that he's gay and has no problem with it. However, I'm relatively sure her parents don't know, and I'm of the opinion that ...Read more

Dear Annie: My son's marriage broke up after 10 years. Twice they attended counseling because his wife wanted to see other men. The third time, she was actually dating another guy. He and "Mandy" share custody of their three children.

Mandy had a troubled upbringing. Her mother neglected her, and she ended up in state care. At 18, she lived ...Read more

Dear Annie: My brother is 42 and getting married for the first time. His bride-to-be has been married before.

My mom and I would like to give her a bridal shower, but it seems they have most of what they need. However, they don't own their own home. How do we send out invites and ask guests to give money toward either the cost of the wedding or...Read more

Dear Annie: I believe my sister's husband, "Roy," is having an affair. He and I have been flirting for several years, and we've had several occasions where we could have been together, but because of my sister, we never have.

My sister's marriage has been troubled for years. The two of them live together, but in separate rooms. They haven't ...Read more

Dear Annie: Two years ago, I made a big mistake. I married a widower and agreed to move into his house in a large city that is a 30-minute drive from the small town I love living in.

I now realize that I absolutely hate living in the city and, more importantly, living in the home that he and his late wife picked out and decorated together. ...Read more

Dear Annie: Several years ago, my then middle-aged husband worked for a company that employed several young attractive girls. He became friends with one of them, and they became texting buddies. Even when they both later left the company, they continued to text. I found this out after the fact. When I confronted him, he said they were "just ...Read more

Dear Annie: I am so sad watching the devastating effect that parental alienation is having on my grandchildren, and I feel powerless to help them.

My daughter is the target of an ex-husband who is determined to turn their children against their mother. My 13-year-old granddaughter attempted suicide last week and went to a facility for several ...Read more

Dear Annie: My husband died 11 years ago. Our son, "Marcus," was 6 at the time. His dad was in intensive care for two months, and because of his young age, our son was not allowed to see his father.

Before he died, my husband asked his younger brother to keep his drum set until Marcus turned 18. Marcus' uncles used to call him every year on his...Read more

Dear Annie: Last week, our son came home from high school and told us that a boy at his school had killed himself. The boy had been a friend of his since the fifth grade.

The school had a moment of silence over the public address system, but never mentioned the boy's name. Most of the details about the suicide are nonexistent, although there ...Read more

Dear Annie: I am a 59-year-old woman. Two years ago, I met this guy, "Jake," and had feelings for him from a distance. We finally got together one night at a club. We exchanged phone numbers and then talked for about two months.

Jake invited me to his place, and we made love. For the next several months, that was the pattern -- I'd go to his ...Read more

Dear Annie: I am a small-business owner. It's challenging, but I have wonderful customers who seem to like our service. So, I'd like to ask your readers a question:

Is there a business establishment that you enjoy going to? A restaurant that is part of your life? A store where you always are treated well? You can help them stay in business by ...Read more

Dear Annie: For many years, I have heard about the dangers of secondhand smoke. I am a non-smoker, but was married to a smoker for 13 years and have asthma.

Now that pot is being legalized in some states, including where I live, what are the dangers of secondhand pot smoke? I haven't heard a word about it. Are the states just looking for ...Read more

Dear Annie: I have been married to "Tom" for 30 years, and we've raised two successful children. Tom is a nice guy, but he is a binge drinker and has been all the years I have known him.

I didn't recognize this as alcoholism until 10 years ago. Tom has been in therapy ever since. It has increased his awareness, but hasn't stopped the binging. ...Read more

Dear Annie: My children's grandmother passed away a few weeks ago after a long battle with Alzheimer's. Her children decided to have a service in the northeast where her husband is buried and where they all grew up. None of them lives anywhere near that area. I live 1,200 miles away.

I was very close to that family for 13 years before my ...Read more

Dear Annie: Twelve years ago, my son moved his girlfriend into our home. "Lena" lived with us for four years, and we treated her like family. They broke up, and Lena moved out. She then married someone else and now has an adorable 6-year-old daughter. We have remained such good friends with her that my husband walked her down the aisle at her ...Read more