ArcaMax

Dear Amy: My husband and I have been married for almost eight years.

I'm 44 and he is 38. We have three kids, ages 5, 3, and one.

We've always had an amazing sex life and a great relationship in every way.

We also have the usual stress that comes along with raising kids (paying bills, running a household, etc.).

We've always taken comfort in...Read more

Dear Amy: My husband had knee replacement surgery at a Catholic hospital last week.

The first few weeks of his physical therapy are done at our home.

The first session was today.

Everything went well and when it was time for her to leave, the therapist asked if my husband wanted to pray with her. She said this was totally up to him.

He said ...Read more

Dear Amy: I currently am wrestling with several serious food allergies. Lab bloodwork has just revealed an autoimmune disorder. I am scheduled to see a rheumatologist in two months.

My body is thrown into a vicious cycle for weeks after consuming foods that trigger allergies.

So, what should I do when I get together with friends or family for ...Read more

Dear Amy: When I started seeing my guy, we were so in tune and on the same page about everything!

About a month into dating, a switch was flipped.

While I’m making some of the biggest steps forward in my life and seeing incredible professional opportunities, he is facing jail time.

I know that it’s incredibly stressful for him.

He gets ...Read more

Dear Amy: I’m in my 60s and undergoing cancer treatment, therefore immunocompromised.

At both of my appointments with my surgeon, she has worn a loose fitting, thin, cloth mask. She has to get very close to me — face to face — to examine me. This has made me extremely uncomfortable, and frankly angry. She has unnecessarily caused me ...Read more

Dear Amy: My daughter is toxic. She and her husband live with me, but with my help of a hefty down payment they will soon be moving out.

I am looking forward to their absence. I am thinking of changing the locks once they leave.

My abrasive daughter tends to get angry and then cut out whomever she thinks offended her.

The list is long and ...Read more

Dear Amy: I was with my former partner for several years. He traveled often for work.

We had what I thought was a very happy relationship and were both professionally and financially successful.

We bought a home together when I was close to completing my master's degree.

A week after moving in, I discovered he'd been essentially living a ...Read more

Dear Amy: Here's one for the bizarre era in which we are living.

I have been close friends with "Brenda" since we were kids.

We touch base a few times a week (electronically). We are now both 65 and live in the same community.

Like everyone, we've been struggling to get COVID vaccinations.

Brenda messaged me, saying, "Our friend called us ...Read more

Dear Amy: Several years ago, my husband and I visited his brother and wife for a vacation.

We stayed with them and relied on them for transportation.

One night, we went out to dinner. His brother ordered some fried pickles as an appetizer.

My husband told him he had never had one before and reached over to take one.

His brother slapped his ...Read more

Dear Amy: My grandmother is a traditional Southern lady who drilled her grandchildren on the importance of a heartfelt, promptly sent thank you note after receiving a gift or kind gesture.

I’m recovering from surgery and many people have been kind enough to bring me a meal as I recuperate.

I like letting people know how their kindness has ...Read more

Dear Amy: My husband and I were married last month.

This was a very small wedding with only 25 people. We had been waiting for this day for over 10 years!

I am upset that one of my new sisters-in-law took it upon herself to not only record the entire ceremony on video on her phone, but one hour into the reception, she posted the whole ceremony...Read more

Dear Amy: My 21-year-old daughter (a senior in college) met her boyfriend two weeks into her freshman year (he is 23).

He asked to come live with us after his graduation.

There are far more job opportunities where we live than in his rural hometown or their college town. We agreed and have treated him like our fifth child. We support him in ...Read more

Dear Amy: My parents are in their late-50s. They live in their own home nearby. Their marriage has been rocky for many years. They seem to stay together mostly for financial reasons.

My husband and I have been very strict about contact since the pandemic started, especially because we had a new baby, born last year.

My mom helps out by ...Read more

Dear Amy: I have always been very private regarding health and medical issues.

I don't want to discuss with friends, family, or strangers whether I've had a flu shot, mammogram, colonoscopy, etc.

I find questions about these things extremely intrusive. I have always been able to dodge the questions and change the subject.

How do you suggest I...Read more

Dear Amy: I work for a small entertainment startup, consisting of five cisgender white men. I got in on the ground floor during the pandemic.

As the only female and youngest/newest member, I’ve felt undervalued and excluded, despite being the only one with a four-year degree.

So far, I’d brushed these concerns aside because of my youth and...Read more

Dear Amy: My brother, "Harold" died unexpectedly from an infection in December.

It was a shock to me and our other brother, because he had always been the healthiest one of us.

I have never been close to my sister-in-law, and their adult kids are off living their lives.

I sent a condolence card to each of them but got nothing in return.

They...Read more

Dear Amy: Imagine working in an office and having someone copying everything you wear!

“Kate” is my colleague. She is a very nice person and sits next to me.

We are medical professionals seeing the same patients, but she comes from a rural area and when she started here, she had zero sense of style. That’s OK. She wanted to fit in here ...Read more

Dear Amy: I am getting married this summer and was looking forward to having my best friend be my matron of honor. I was maid of honor in her wedding.

Right after I got engaged, she got pregnant with her first child, and her baby is due in late spring.

She initially said she would be able to make this work, but recently told me she decided to ...Read more

Dear Amy: I have recently been reliving a trauma from my childhood on a daily basis. Along with this, I have been remembering other occurrences of this same trauma.

My father is a child molester, and an abusive alcoholic.

This trauma from my childhood led to trichotillomania, which has gotten worse, despite the fact that I have pursued therapy...Read more