ArcaMax

DEAR ABBY: My mother is 90 and has been a widow for 10 years. When we moved to this city 30 years ago, my parents made friends with a group of people. In this group was a couple nobody in our family liked (Dad especially), but Mom remained friends with them. Abby, the husband is a smarmy narcissist.

A couple of weeks ago, I went into my mom's ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: My husband and I were married nine years. He unexpectedly left me when COVID first hit. We were apart for a year and eight months and ended up divorcing. I filed because, even though I didn't want to believe it, I eventually accepted that it was over. Even though he hadn't actually filed the papers, he had taken all other necessary ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: My wife and I play on a pool team. About a year ago, the team captain looked at my wife and said, "So, can I play with your lower private area?" (He didn't use those words.) My wife, who is very shy, was shocked.

He has made dumb comments before, and I've warned him several times. This time when I told him, he was dumb enough to ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I'm a 45-year-old woman who has been dating "Ben" (53) for two years. We have known each other for more than 20. He treats me like a queen. Prior to our dating, he had a girlfriend he used to confide in me about. I was very jealous of her. She knew we were friends, so she made a point of posting lots of pictures of their PDAs on his ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: My narcissistic father feels entitled to do whatever he pleases. He has always insisted that since he makes the money, far more than my mother's income, he should be waited on and cleaned up after. If he stays in my home, he leaves messes everywhere. He's 70, but he acts like a 4-year-old.

He loves attention and will do anything to ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I married a recovering addict, and for years he did great. We made a lovely home and family together. Then one of my husband's drug buddies (a woman) resurfaced. My husband had an affair, went down that nasty road again and did some very cruel things to destroy our marriage. We have been married 19 years and separated for the last ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I struggled for years with vomiting and nausea, as well as other digestive issues I dismissed as having a "sensitive stomach." When my fiance, "Marc," and I started dating, he urged me to find out the cause of my issues. Six months ago, I was diagnosed with celiac disease, an autoimmune disorder that is managed through a gluten-free ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I'm a 32-year-old woman. My 20s were spent in a serious long-term relationship. It was a lot of firsts for me. After we split, I took a couple of years to sow my wild oats and find out who I am as an individual.

I'm now looking for something more than "friends with benefits." However, the last few men I've met and gone on dates with,...Read more

DEAR ABBY: The other day I went to the pool in my neighborhood and found there were four lounge chairs with towels on them indicating they were "reserved." They are the best chairs in the pool area because they are covered by a small roof and protected from the sun. I then had to use another chair that only partially covered me.

It wasn't until...Read more

DEAR ABBY: Throughout my childhood, my mother was controlling in many ways. One of them was my clothes. She dressed me in ridiculous outfits that I found humiliating. If I expressed an opinion about anything, I was treated as being "bad." It affected my mental health, which resulted in me hating the way I look.

I went through multiple eating ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I have been with my boyfriend for three months. We've had our ups and downs. He's more into me than I am into him. I was recently diagnosed with breast cancer, and he has offered to drive me to my surgery and help me at home in recovery. He's also willing to take me to my follow-ups and help with anything else I may need.

He's ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: My girlfriend, "Jana," and I have been together for 18 years. We live in a small community. About a year ago, a young single guy moved in next door. Jana and "Aiden" took an immediate liking to each other. She's 64, and he's 35.

Aiden is on permanent disability, has never had a job and is heavily into drugs. He does odd things like ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I have seen you mention in your column your cookbooklets of favorite recipes. I hope the meatloaf recipe is included. Years ago, I cut out your meatloaf recipe, and it's been a staple at my house ever since. I did make one significant change: I use ground bison instead of beef. It's healthier and tastes great. Thanks, Abby, for your ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I have been married for 16 years, but after the birth of my first child, our marriage went downhill. My husband withdrew and went out with friends often. When my brother was in the hospital, I traveled three hours with my newborn baby to visit him. My husband drove up separately, stayed a few hours, then left to go to a concert with a...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I'm 42 and my guy friend is 59. He's a wonderful person and a great provider. I've known him for about a year now, but he seems a bit controlling. He wants me around seven days a week and expects me to be this submissive woman that I'm not. I'm very independent. I always earned my way in life with little to no help at all.

I'm not ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I have been dating a wonderful man for two years. He has two grown children, 27 and 21. Both have good jobs and work full time. I have a son who is 12. The issue is family vacations, and paying for things while on vacation.

I feel that since his children are adults, they should help pay for meals, lodging and activities. I'm not ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: My 23-year-old daughter and her first and only boyfriend have begun to talk marriage. Although I think he's a wonderful, smart, compassionate young man who seems to adore my daughter, I have one major concern: his unhealthy habits.

When my daughter introduced him to us seven years ago, he was a little overweight. Since then, I've ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I have been married for 39 years to a kind, supportive and loving man. We are both retired. He stays fit with daily exercise, reads, keeps track of our financials and is fun to be with. However, he's a high-functioning alcoholic. His personality bends to unsavory during most of the evening hours. He will never go to counseling, and ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I am a 30-something single gay man. My parents are older and have a strained marriage. They no longer have a relationship but stay together. I live with them because of money issues, and they sometimes need assistance. I do not have the ability to bring friends or dates over, and I feel as if my mental health is being affected because...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I recently was told that my late father-in-law was a serial child abuser who molested his daughter and at least two of his grandchildren. My husband loved and deeply respected his parents. Should I tell my husband this information? Should I ask my grown son if he was also molested as his cousins were? I don't want to "rock the boat," ...Read more