ArcaMax

DEAR ABBY: I am an older IT professional (58) who had a very successful career until a year ago. I was part of a major layoff at the company I worked at for many years. I have not been able to find a job in the IT field since.

Besides my skills and knowledge in IT, I'm an accomplished handyman with skills in most of the trades. The issue is, my...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I'm hoping you can help me with this situation. I have been married for 13 years but never told my family that I got married. I now want to divorce my husband, but I don't know how to approach it because he holds it over my head. Please help. I have fallen in love with someone else and I need to divorce my current husband and move on,...Read more

DEAR ABBY: Many wives write you about problems with their husbands who drink too much. If they live in a community property state, there's something important they need to know. If the husband drives drunk and causes an injury, both the wife and husband may be named as co-defendants -- even if the wife wasn't involved. And if the injured party ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: Our youngest son recently married a woman who has an 18-year-old disabled daughter, Lauren. The girl's mental level is between that of a 2- and 4-year-old. There have been physical confrontations between my new daughter-in-law and her disabled daughter, which are becoming more frequent now that they all live together. Our daughter-in-...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I gave birth to my daughter three months ago, after 44 grueling hours of labor. My mother, assuming I would want her in the delivery room, booked her flight, flew across the country and stayed at my house without asking when I'd like her to come to help me.

During her stay, she made comments about how she had flown 2,000 miles to dog...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I am a 53-year-old woman who is a sexual abuse survivor. This has consumed every aspect of my life. It started when I was around 2, I believe, and was a daily occurrence until I was 14. My abuser was my paternal grandfather, now deceased.

I've sought counseling and therapy groups -- whatever I could -- over the years, to no avail. I ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I thought I had a best friend. We got to know each other when we worked together for almost four years. He's straight, I'm gay and we're total opposites. However, he taught me how to fish and took me shooting at his family's ranch; we would go to dinners/lunches and go to the city. He's a few years older than I am (he's in his 30s).

...Read more

DEAR ABBY: The holiday season is here, with the traditional family dinner get-togethers. Our problem is, our two children (ages 27 and 29) don't like each other and rarely have contact during the year. This creates such stressful holiday meals that my wife and I would prefer to simply not have them.

What words should we use to explain to both ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I am a shy, 30-year-old woman. I stay at home with our 10-month-old, primarily because of our family's financial situation.

I am gifted in the visual arts, but because I don't have an art degree, I'm unable to pursue a professional job in the arts. Instead, I have been advertising to teach private art lessons at home. One month in, I...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I'm 17 and don't know what I want to do with my life. When I was younger, I was sure I wanted to go into the field of law. It was something my parents also wanted me to do.

I go to a very rigorous high school that's known for being challenging, and haven't been doing well grade-wise since I started. I used to be a straight-A student ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I am a 17-year-old girl who has been in a long-distance relationship for two years. We're still in high school and actively involved in sports and extracurricular activities. During the fall months I cheer, and in the winter months he plays basketball. Our schedules only really allow for texting and FaceTiming rather than going out.

...Read more

DEAR ABBY: My daughter-in-law insists on not covering my granddaughter while she's breastfeeding in public and allows the baby to nurse with her breast partially exposed (although the nipple is not visible). I'm concerned this may have affected my son's employment because she did it at a company-sponsored event, and he was let go a month ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I have been married to my husband for five years. We live in the same town as my in-laws, and for the most part, we get along great. However, my mother-in-law does something that makes me uneasy. She uses an app to track my husband. She pressured him into installing it right before our wedding and has tracked him ever since.

She'll ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I was married for 19 years and have three adult daughters from that marriage. I remarried eight years ago to a woman who has two adult children. My relationship with them is not good, in spite of my efforts to engage them in basic conversation. She told me recently that neither one of them likes me. In fact, she has suggested I just ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I'm worried for my son. He's going on his first business trip in January -- to Japan. He doesn't drink alcohol. (He's not an alcoholic; it's his personal choice.) His bosses, who do business there frequently, are now telling him that the Japanese will not do business with you unless you drink with them first. Can you find out if this ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I have been seeing this guy for nine months. We had a good relationship, but then it hit a bump in the road. He was told some false information about me, and instead of giving me the benefit of the doubt, he immediately assumed it was true. He said nasty things to me, called me horrible names, and we didn't speak for a month. Once we ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I am a Christian who is passionate and vocal about being an ally to the LGBTQ community. I have close family members and friends who are part of that community, so I never waiver in my support or understanding. I am also a feminist. These beliefs are deeply a part of who I am and how I live my life.

Recently, my boyfriend's mother ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: We received a wedding invitation in the mail today from my husband's nephew. First of all, we are to RSVP by tomorrow. (What?)

Here are our options in responding:

Gladly attend

Regretfully decline

Resentfully attend

Enthusiastically decline

I'll surprise you

The invitation also asked which song we'd like blasted over our...Read more

DEAR ABBY: Our family went away for a two-week vacation. One of my co-workers suggested I hire her daughter to stay in our home and take care of our pets and plants in our absence. The daughter is 20 years old and a student. We agreed upon a generous payment and paid her as soon as we got home.

Everything was fine, except our stockpile of ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: My 23-year-old son does not want to work and spends all his time playing video games. He's obsessed with them. He disrespects my house -- and me -- by not cleaning his room.

I don't know what to do. He's my son, but he is a user and feels he's entitled to live here. He pays no bills and blows all his money on gaming. He quits every ...Read more