ArcaMax

DEAR ABBY: Many years ago, I had a romance with a young girl in a faraway town. After a year, thinking I could do better, I moved on. With the benefit of hindsight, I now realize she stood head and shoulders above all the others, and I had tragically discarded my soul mate.

By chance, I ended up settling in the same city as she. She eventually ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: My dear friend of many years is marrying for the fourth time. Her fiance is verbally abusive and a heavy drinker. After a particularly bad period she went through with him, I told her that if she went ahead and married him, she should just let me know when it was over because I had no desire to witness this union.

Well, she called me...Read more

DEAR ABBY: My husband and I have been together for 12 years. I have a daughter from a previous relationship who is now 16. They have had their ups and downs. What irritates me to no end is, my husband tattles on my daughter.

Today she wanted to come home from school because she felt nauseated. My husband had the day off, and even though he didn...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I am currently dating someone, and although it hasn't been that long, so far everything has been great. We each have two children from previous relationships. We have discussed the topic of marriage, having a child of our own and have even considered adoption.

One day he told me he wanted to tell me something. He ended up saying that...Read more

DEAR ABBY: My husband and I live in a nice home in the desert Southwest with an in-ground pool and guesthouse. Our friends and relatives from back east have an open invitation to visit whenever they please. We enjoyed these visits until recently.

The problem is their ever-present compulsion to be connected to an electronic device. We are not ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: My longtime friend of 30 years, Charlotte, lives across the country. I have just learned that her husband, Harold, is transgender and is now transitioning to become Helen.

When they come, they always stay with us for several days because they can't afford a hotel. My husband is now very uncomfortable with them staying here or ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: Years ago, you published a recipe for cheesecake, which you said was very good. Well, it was not only good -- it was TERRIFIC. As a native New Yorker, I know cheesecake.

I have moved and lost my recipe. Can you republish it? It's the best! -- CHEESECAKE LOVER IN DELAND, FLA.

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DEAR LOVER: Thank you for the compliment. I'...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I'm getting married in a few months, and with all of the wedding planning, I have realized that in my fiance's priorities, I come last, as do my opinions and desires.

We were supposed to go to a nice restaurant for his birthday, so I made reservations a month in advance. Yesterday (two days before his birthday) his parents decided ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: My 15-year-old son has a friend who stayed with us for five months during football and basketball season because he didn't have transportation to early-morning practices. In the beginning it was one night, then it eventually became full weeks, full months and so on.

We treated him like our own, providing food, washing clothes, giving...Read more

DEAR ABBY: My husband suffers from migraines and has never been happy in any job he's had. He has tried every available treatment for his migraines, to no avail. He still has them daily. I think they may be partly psychological.

In the 10 years we've been married, he has had six different jobs. The longest one lasted three years but ended ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I have known Charlotte for 17 years. She was a bridesmaid at my wedding, and we talk and text regularly. I consider her one of my best friends.

Charlotte has had a tough couple years and has sunk into a depression. We live on opposite sides of the country, so I don't see her in person often, but I can hear the change in our phone ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: My mother is 86 and drives everyone in the family crazy when we have to spend time with her. She says things that make people cringe. She's racist, homophobic, judgmental and critical of everybody and everything.

When we try to point out that what she says hurts people, she starts going into how much she is hurt -- daily -- by all of...Read more

DEAR ABBY: My mom has never been what you would call a housekeeper. Dad did all the shopping, cooking and cleaning. As a child, I remember our house always being a mess. Mom worked, and I don't know why she never felt like she needed to clean up after herself. My dad would straighten up after her, and there were often arguments about it.

Fast ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I have been happily married for more than 40 years. Since he retired a couple of years ago, it has come to my attention that he has been getting mail at a separate private mailbox. I don't see a good reason for this, and it is weighing on me heavily.

I don't want to make a big deal out of it, but I'm concerned. He sees all our bills ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: My sister Thea has distanced herself from the family. I understand why she did. Our parents were mentally, physically and emotionally abusive while we were growing up, with one who instigated the issues and the other taking it out on us kids.

I feel stuck in the middle of chaos. My parents have started to work on their behaviors and ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I am going through a nasty divorce. My sons, ages 4, 11 and 12, live with my husband, 1,000 miles away. They will be with me for summer vacation. This will be the longest stay they will have with me, and I'm not going to lie -- I am excited and nervous at the same time.

My problem is, my children do not know I have been seeing ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: My father recently passed away. I wanted to be sure I was appropriately dressed for his funeral, so I shopped for the most conservative outfit I could find. When I arrived at the service, I was taken aback by what my sister-in-law was wearing. I told her I didn't think her dress was appropriate for the occasion. It was skintight and ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I was married to my first husband for 13 years and was very close to his family. His parents and sister were like my own. We ended up divorcing, and it was an extremely painful situation on both sides.

His family wanted to stay in touch with me afterward because they still loved me. I felt the same, so we remained connected through ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: My husband and I are seniors who look forward to visits from our adult children. The problem is our oldest son. He visits every few months and leaves belongings behind. He uses our guest room, where he has claimed much of the closet, several dresser drawers, the guest bathroom vanity and even part of our shed. He says he needs to ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I have a former co-worker whose husband was just released from a psychiatric facility. He had threatened to kill himself and take the entire family with him. I met him before the incident. He did not seem balanced then, and I was uncomfortable being around him.

Since his release, my friend keeps inviting me to their house and wants ...Read more