Ghosting — the abrupt disappearance of someone you were seeing or taking to — is jarring. It often comes out of nowhere, and it forces you to first wonder what happened to the other person before it sinks in that they did this intentionally. In short, ghosting is cowardly, avoiding a short, difficult conversation to spare yourself being ...Read more

RALEIGH, N.C. -- Robert Lyles has spent more than two decades raising children, but he says he is still learning what it means to be a father.

“I don’t know everything,” Lyles said.

With eight children ranging from 23 to 1-year-old, Lyles has learned that parenting looks different for every child. He joined Durham’s Nurturing Fathers ...Read more

MINNEAPOLIS -- On a recent Sunday morning, nearly 50 people in long pants and sun hats, some toting loppers, gathered beside the Mississippi River.

It was the second meeting of the Minneapolis Buckthorn Removal Singles Club, a group of mostly 20-and-30-somethings circling up for an icebreaker.

Attendees shared their dating preferences and ...Read more

Dear Anna,

I’ve (19M) been with my girlfriend (18F) for just under four months, and things have gotten serious enough that we’re starting to talk about having sex for the first time. She’s never had sex before, and early in our relationship she told me she’d always imagined sharing that part of herself with only one person. She says if ...Read more

I have a new client, Sandy. She lives in San Francisco, she’s in her mid-60s, and she hasn’t dated in over 30 years, since before she was with her late husband. Dating has changed a lot since then.

She and I had a few pep talks about first dates — what to wear, where to meet, who should pay, and how to end a date depending on how it goes...Read more

Another day, another set of dating questions.

Question: What dating app seems to have the best luck in finding a partner?

Answer: You may not love my answer, but it's not about luck or "finding" someone. It's about being proactive and using the apps efficiently. You can be successful, or unsuccessful, on any app depending on how thoughtfully ...Read more

Dear Anna,

I’ve been happily married for 12 years, and my husband and I have been poly for eight of them. Overall, it’s been a really positive part of our relationship. We’ve had our trials, of course, but we communicate much better than we once did, we both date other people occasionally, and I genuinely experience compersion much of the...Read more

Dear Anna,

I’m 28 and have been with my girlfriend for about a year and a half. Things are really good between us overall, but we keep hitting a wall over one specific issue: I occasionally text with an ex from about four years ago. And I do mean occasionally. We’re talking maybe once or twice a month, maybe less than that. And the gist is:...Read more

We have questions today about someone’s potential readiness to be in a relationship, one-word answers in the dating apps, making a good first impression and how to know when it’s time to get back out there after a breakup.

Question: I met a guy. It’s been six months since his separation after more than 20 years of marriage. Is this a deal...Read more

Dear Anna,

I’ve been messaging someone I met on a dating app for about three weeks, and we finally have our first date this weekend. We’ve had some really fun conversations, and I’m genuinely excited to meet her. The other night she mentioned that she’d been reading a book she loved, but her library hold expired before she could finish ...Read more

About 10 years ago, when I was in the first few years of running my business, I was working out of a co-working space. A great place to get work done … and meet people. I remember very clearly when someone I met at the office asked if I’d like to have dinner. I thought it was a nice gesture, and I know how hard it is to muster up the courage...Read more