ArcaMax

DEAR ABBY: My wife and I have been together 39 years, and we generally get along very well. We've always had dogs and cats, and we currently have two of each. While my wife loves all animals, I'm a dog person. I don't dislike cats, but I don't really care for them. The cats and I tend to ignore each other.

We have one who's 20 years old. While ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: Over the weekend, while I was cleaning and reorganizing our bedroom, I found the engagement ring my boyfriend plans on proposing to me with. I didn't know he was planning to ask the big question, and I'm thrilled that he is going to. I haven't even hinted that I know anything is going on because I don't want to ruin the surprise more ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: My niece Jane is married to John, who doesn't want children. Before she met John, Jane always loved children. She says he was traumatized by the toxic relationship between his parents and their subsequent divorce. John's father told him often that he and his siblings caused the divorce.

John refuses to have a vasectomy, despite the ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: Thirty-five years ago I was raped by a stranger. He told me he would kill me if I ever told anyone. I never told my husband (now ex-), mostly because I was afraid if I did he would never touch me again. So I lived with the secret. It eventually tore our marriage apart and we divorced.

Although we have both moved on and remarried, we ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I am a 30-year-old woman who very much wants to find someone to share my life and start a family with. The problem is I hate dating, at least the early stages. To me, first dates aren't exciting; they're just plain awkward and nerve-racking.

I have tried everything to change my outlook on dating, but I still go into every first date ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: My husband is a wonderful man. We've been married 31 years and have been retired for the past six. He takes care of most of the housework, and I work at a part-time job. We have no children or nearby relatives. We are pretty much all we have to depend upon.

My only complaint is something that has driven me crazy for years now, and I ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I've been with my husband for eight years, married for one. Before our marriage, it was just the two of us doing everything together. He has a strong distrust of people, and doesn't have any friends. We moved to a bigger city where I found a better job and made new friends. I go out with them occasionally, but when I do, he is very ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: My daughter Melanie is very close with a cousin she grew up with. This cousin is getting married in five months, and Melanie will be a bridesmaid. The shower date was announced. Then my son-in-law's best friend from childhood announced his wedding date. The wedding is on the same date as my niece's shower.

The events are about four ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I'm a woman in my mid-30s without much family. I'm an only child and have no relationship with my father. The relationship I have with my mother is extremely toxic.

I have suffered my entire life from a severe shopping addiction. I recently relapsed, and I'm trying to recover financially. I can't afford counseling right now, and I ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I married a proud Scotsman a year ago who often wears kilts. When we go out, women think nothing of coming over and lifting his kilt, which exposes him to anyone who has a visual advantage. These women scream with glee and then become physically aggressive with their hands. Frankly, I am shocked and horrified anyone would do this.

...Read more

DEAR ABBY: When the house next door sold, we were delighted to have new neighbors. My husband and I greeted them with a welcome gift. They asked us three times about the property line, and we showed them the marker. They asked the people on the other side, as well as those in the back of them. Shortly after, they put a barrier between us and a ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: We have a niece who spent 12 years in Hollywood trying to become an actress. The only job she ever managed to land was a TV commercial that showed only her hands. After spending tens of thousands of dollars and having five different agents, she finally gave up and moved back to Kansas.

She has now written a play in which she is the ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: We live in a small town where everyone knows everyone. People here have dropped like flies from COVID-19. My brother recently died from the virus, which is now coursing through his family, including the grandchildren. He was a big presence in our town and held public office.

While everyone else has been delaying memorials until a ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I have a long-distance friend I met online 10 years ago. I took pity on her because she was nearly destitute, and I have been helping her pay her bills. She's visited me a number of times, and I care about her a lot. However, her constant requests for money are starting to make me uncomfortable. (She can't work for health reasons, and...Read more

DEAR ABBY: My husband and I have been happily married for 10 years. This is a second marriage for both of us. We don't have children together, but my husband has grown daughters in their 50s from a previous marriage. Generally, we have good relationships with each other.

My problem is, my husband still calls -- and refers to -- his daughters by...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I have been with a man for the last six years. He has been separated for 20 years. When I asked him if he was going to finalize his divorce, he said no. When I said I would like a commitment, he said he gave me one when he moved in five years ago. I said I want more. His wife even asked him for a divorce, but he said it's expensive. I...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I have a 23-year-old daughter, Julia, who I am close with. She has been in a relationship with Joey, a guy her age, for four years and living with him for the last 16 months. Joey's a great kid who hasn't had a lot of support in his life. I have been like a mother to him, and we are very close. He works hard, earned a college degree ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: My husband was instructed by his doctor to avoid dairy due to a chronic condition that negatively impacts his daily life. Around the same time, his father and his girlfriend began implementing the keto diet into their lifestyle. We are often invited to their home for game night. She takes pride in preparing a home-cooked meal for ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: For the last three years, I was in an emotionally and physically abusive relationship. I finally found the courage to leave. Throughout the time I was with my ex, I self-medicated with alcohol because I felt ugly and unloved. One day, while I was out and intoxicated, I created an online profile on a dating app. Three days later, I ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I am a man in my late 40s who has been looking for love all my life. One factor that has made it difficult is my height. I'm 4'11 tall. What makes finding someone nearly impossible is that the online dating site profiles always ask for my height. Unfortunately, being extremely short in stature isn't a characteristic women are looking ...Read more