ArcaMax

DEAR ABBY: Many years ago, I was the victim of a violent assault that my then-11-year-old daughter witnessed. It traumatized both of us, but me, the worst. I completely dove off the deep end. I started drinking and smoking pot, and quit going to church. My whole personality changed. I dumped every moment with my children I could onto my husband ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: Our dear mother recently passed away after an extended illness. We all knew it was inevitable, but it didn't make our loss any easier. My siblings and I were devastated, and we still are. The day of her funeral was especially hard.

One of our older daughters brought her children, our granddaughters (13 and 19 years old), to the ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I love my husband, but I'm getting tired of being a second-class citizen in my home. It started when we bought a van from a friend of mine. We talked about different things we could do with it -- fix it up a little and sell it, or use it for vacation -- but somewhere along the line it was suggested that we let my ex, "Paul," buy it ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: Recently, my oldest and dearest friend (since kindergarten) talked about renting a house in Puerto Rico for her family and mine. We talk often and have remained close over the years. I consider her family a part of my family.

She recently informed me that she went ahead and booked the trip with her sister-in-law, her nephews and her ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I am a divorced mother of two teenagers. I've been seeing my boyfriend, "Sean," for almost five years, and when the pandemic started, he moved in with us. I am supposed to share custody of my teens with their father, alternating weeks. However, his job requires travel, and the kids are with me more often than not, with little to no ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: My husband, who is 81 and in excellent health, has just suggested that when we feel we can no longer live independent lives (I am 72), we should move closer to his daughter in another state so she and her husband can help us.

Abby, I don't LIKE her husband, and I don't want to be reliant on him, beholden to him or even socialize with...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I took a DNA test seven months ago. It came back that the man who raised me is not my biological father. My heart dropped, but I decided to meet my real dad. We have formed a relationship, mostly a good one, and I introduce him as my dad now. My problem is, we hardly know each other or how we react to things.

I had a hard week. My ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: My husband was forced into sex at the age of 12 by an older female. He has expressed how humiliated he felt and that he made it his mission to never feel inadequate again. He gets his "knowledge" of satisfying a woman through porn. I have tried to explain to him that what he's seeing is only a performance put on for the male viewer.

...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I got pregnant at 15 and had my oldest daughter at 16. I met my husband at 18, and went on to have four more daughters. I have been with him for more than 30 years (I just turned 49).

My girls are living their own lives now. The thing is, now that I'm alone with my husband, I have come to discover that we have nothing in common. I ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I have had an older man as a roommate for two months now. He's very kind and intelligent. He also has dementia. I didn't realize it when he moved in. He's estranged from his family, although I know of a few people he does talk to on the phone.

As his condition worsens, so does his memory and his ability to understand simple ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: Two years ago, at a national conference, I bumped into a woman I had dated decades ago. We started dating again, even though she lives in Phoenix and I live in the Midwest. The geographical distance between us is challenging, but we made it work through phone calls and traveling to see each other at least once a month.

It was working...Read more

DEAR ABBY: When my sibling and I were 6 and 10, our parents sat us down and told us they were getting a divorce because Dad had an affair. Mom was, to say the least, incredibly hurt. Her hurt and resentment haven't subsided to this day. Dad has never apologized to her, but he has supported her financially ever since.

Mom has tried therapy, but ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I am engaged to be married, and I'm over-the-moon excited. My grown daughter will be my maid of honor, and I had all my bridesmaids picked out. My sister is the issue. Her new boyfriend (she goes through a lot of them) makes my daughter uncomfortable. He has tried repeatedly to add her to his social media accounts, some of which ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: My boyfriend, "Paul," and I have been together for 18 months. We are both divorced and each have two children. Mine are in college. His are in elementary and middle school. They stay overnight with him on the weekends.

When they are there, I go home and sleep at my place. Over the last few months, Paul has asked me to stay the night ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: My husband died recently. I have been approached by a much younger man for a sexual relationship. I want to, but I feel he is too young. I'm 61, and he's 37, the same age as my son. We have been friends for years, and I am unsure if I should change the relationship. I see no future in it except occasional sex. Should I drop it or ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I was an alcoholic. I have been sober since 1994. I live with my elderly aunt and assist her while working in ministry. Her son lives with us and is, basically, a hopeless alcoholic. He drinks all day and lies on the couch. I know that if this continues, it will be fatal.

We have tried to get him into two or three rehabs, and I can't...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I was married for 16 years and am finalizing the divorce. I decided to start dating again and found a really nice guy with a wonderful personality. I'm attracted to him, although I never thought I would love again. He's my age and has a kid. We talked for six months -- after which he moved in. We have been living together for more ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: My daughter and her partner have two children, an 8-month-old and a 3-year-old. Whenever they get home, if a child is sleeping in the car seat, one of them will stay in the vehicle until the child wakes up. They don't want to bring the child inside the house because the child will wake up.

They live in Los Angeles, the weather is ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: A few months ago, my daughter told me she was with her boyfriend at the local bowling alley and they were kissing and hugging. When she went to use the ladies' room, she was followed by an older woman who proceeded to "advise" my daughter about the local family planning clinic, as well as offer her opinion that teenagers need to be ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I'm a gay man. A friend of more than 20 years, "Marci," passed away eight months ago after battling cancer for four years. Just a month after the funeral, her wife, "Julia," started dating. She was engaged four months later and married "Leslie" seven months after that. When they started dating, Leslie was still legally married. My ...Read more