ArcaMax

DEAR ABBY: My parents are divorced. My father, who I'm sure loves me in his own way, is super controlling and manipulative. He wasn't nice to my older siblings, either. He constantly lied and blamed others for his abusive behavior, which made me hate them. He constantly claimed Mom cheated on him and said my siblings were horrible kids.

When I ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I received a Facebook invitation to my 35th high school reunion. I was bullied constantly in every grade. I had no friends in my class, and the memories I have are not pleasant. I composed a letter expressing the hope that the attendees enjoy reminiscing, and then added that I have no desire to see any of them again. In the letter, I ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I graduated from college with a degree in a niche field. In my graduating class of nearly 7,000, there were only four of us with this specific degree. I now have a career in the field I majored in. I love what I do and take pride in it. The problem is my family. For whatever reason, my parents and siblings don't seem to want to ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I have worked for the same company for 20 years. For the last eight years, I was part of an office book club, mostly because I was pressured regularly by the boss to participate. The members were mostly a clique of "mean girls." I never felt a part of it or comfortable, but I pushed through the once-a-month meetings to keep the peace....Read more

DEAR ABBY: My elderly mother spent her entire adult life spending her men's money, and now she has morphed into an entitled, self-absorbed and vapid woman. She blew through her inheritance years ago with no regard for future needs. I have now moved her into senior housing near me. She wants to make friends, but the problem is that she thinks she...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I have been with my 45-year-old boyfriend, "Doug," for six years. His mother, who was widowed five years ago, has moved here to Florida from New Jersey. Doug is very protective of her, which I kind of understand because she's 63. The kicker is, she has started flashing her breasts at us. I'm pretty sure she does it to Doug when I'm ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I'm a woman who, a little while ago, got a girlfriend, "Darlene." After meeting her, I thought that was what love felt like. But my old (bisexual) friend "Michelle" has me feeling differently. I have known her since kindergarten, but recently I feel my heart racing and butterflies in my stomach just thinking about her. When Michelle ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I have been in what feels like a war with my grandmother. She always took care of me and my younger brother and sister. She was there when we couldn't be with our parents. For a long time, I was troubled and into addiction. I admit I lost sight of who I really was. I had two sons I didn't raise, but now that I'm back and a year and ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I recently made some unflattering comments about my daughter-in-law to my son. They were recorded on their Ring doorbell. Now she's angry with me and my son, and I'm not sure I will ever see the grandchildren again. When I emailed her an apology, she said she didn't know if she could ever forgive me. She will see my husband, but I am ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I have been married to my wife for 32 years. I love her dearly. Recently, though, her smoking has been really bothering me. Her father passed away from COPD five years ago because he was a lifetime smoker. I thought that would convince her to stop. She has tried, but she always goes back.

She tries to cover it up by making frequent ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: A co-worker has been stricken with multiple stage-4 cancers. We all have been compassionate and caring, supporting him through the challenges of treatment and the side effects. His condition is terminal, in the final stage and deteriorating rapidly. He does have a supportive family, but we don't have the heart to send him home and ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: My adult granddaughter, "Lola," is in a two-year relationship with a wonderful young man and has been anticipating a proposal. During a conversation, he mentioned he would not propose to her until he has introduced her to his parents, who live in another state.

He says his mother wants him to marry a woman who has never been married ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I have been married to my husband, "Jim," for three years, but we have been together for seven. It hasn't been an easy road for us. I love him, but he doesn't give me the attention or time that I want.

We have two kids we're raising from previous relationships. I didn't intentionally set out to hurt him, but three years ago, I ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: When my husband died two months ago, my identical twin helped me move in with her. She never married. I do all the chores -- clean six litter boxes, load and unload the dishwasher, etc. I don't know how to operate her washer/dryer, as she has shown me only once. She doesn't like the way I use my phone, set up files, nothing. She also ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I am 66 and a 20-year widow. I live alone but have an active social life with my women friends. We live in a small town with very little to do, but we get together often to watch movies, eat out, etc. I never had children, and all my relatives have passed away. I'm the last family member left.

I'm mostly satisfied (but not happy) ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: My wife and I have been married 47 years. Since she retired from her job, she has become addicted to her DVR. She records everything she can think of to watch "later." She has shows she recorded from last year but hasn't watched, and they take up 90% of her DVR disc. She uses only about 10% for new shows that she watches to make room ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I have been married for 23 years. About a year ago, our 22-year-old daughter became suspicious that her dad might be having an affair. She found out it was true through his text messages. When we sat down as a family and discussed it, at first he denied it. He got upset to the point that he told our daughter to leave the house, which ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: For 50 years, I had a close career and personal friend I'll call "Ellen." She has been married a long time, but I know she and her husband have had some rocky patches. Ellen was with me through the tragic loss of my son and, six weeks later, my very ill husband. I couldn't have gotten through it without her.

After being alone for 17 ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: My 15-year-old daughter, "Nadia," has been friends with another girl, "Kelly," since they were 8. Over the years, I have had my concerns about Kelly because she lies. She can also be very manipulative, and she hasn't always treated Nadia well.

Nadia and I have had numerous conversations about this friend over the years, and I have ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I retired to Malaga, Spain, after my marriage of 38 years ended in divorce. I have gone to dinner with a few men since moving here. This is a lovely community with many retired residents from all over Europe and the U.K. My problem is, after a few dates, they assume that because they bought me dinner it entitles them to sex. I am fit ...Read more