ArcaMax

Dear Readers: Wishing you and your families a very happy Easter and Passover. Spring is a time to get outdoors and play. It is a time for new beginnings and fresh starts. It is a time when the flowers begin to bloom and kittens are born. Below are some of my favorite poems about spring and joy and the innocence and beauty of childhood.

"Spring"...Read more

Dear Annie: My daughter-in-law and I have never had a good relationship, but we tolerate each other because of my son.

I have tried to be a good mother-in-law. I never visit unannounced. When my DIL had surgery for breast cancer, I took her to her appointments, and I was even the one to go with her when she rang the bell at the end of her ...Read more

Dear Annie: My best friend, "Claire," has been dating her boyfriend, "Jay," for three years. I really liked him when they first started dating, but lately, she's been confiding in me about some things that are making me a little nervous. For example: Jay goes through her phone, gets angry when she spends time with friends and even will ...Read more

Dear Annie: My best friend, "Sarah," and I have been close since college, but lately, our friendship feels one-sided. She's going through a rough time; she broke up with her boyfriend, she hates her job and she's been struggling with anxiety. I've been there for her every step of the way, listening to her vent, offering advice and checking in ...Read more

Dear Annie: I'm struggling with something at work that's starting to affect not just my motivation but also my self-worth.

My boss has taken credit for my work on several occasions. These aren't minor tasks; I'm talking about full-scale projects I've managed from start to finish, ideas I've brainstormed and developed, and presentations I've ...Read more

Dear Annie: I have a close friend I care about a lot, but there's something that's starting to get under my skin -- and I'm not sure if I should say something or let it slide.

Whenever we go out -- whether it's lunch, drinks or concerts -- we usually agree to split the cost. But somehow, I always end up paying more. She's "forgotten her ...Read more

Dear Annie: My husband hasn't heard a word from his mother in over 20 years -- not even after the deaths of two of her sons. She's now 94, and we recently heard she's still alive, still isolated, and still unwilling to speak to him or anyone else in the family.

It breaks my heart. I remember the early years of our marriage -- sending her ...Read more

Dear Annie: My mom and I read your column every day, and we always find your advice thoughtful and compassionate. Lately, I've been thinking about something I witnessed years ago while working in a shelter for abused women. It's stayed with me -- the way emotional abuse often begins so subtly, with little comments that chip away at someone's ...Read more

Dear Annie: I'm struggling to make sense of this situation, but it felt like a red flag.

I started dating a man, and one night out to dinner, we ran into a woman he knew from college and her boyfriend. She seemed nice, and after a brief chat, they left. He briefly told me about her business, I said she seemed cool, and I thought nothing more ...Read more

Dear Annie: I've always been a people-pleaser, and it's wearing me down. My boss, "Mark," constantly asks me to take on extra tasks because he knows I won't say no. Last week, I stayed late three nights in a row to finish a project that wasn't even mine. And it's not just at work, either. My roommate "Rachel" is constantly asking for favors (...Read more

Dear Annie: I'm struggling with my mother-in-law, "Linda," and it's starting to cause tension in my marriage. My husband, "Jake," is an only child, and they have always been very, very close. At first, I thought it was sweet, but I've come to realize that when Linda and I have a difference of opinion, Jake will always be Team Linda.

Last week...Read more

Dear Annie: My mom, "Janet," lost her husband -- my dad -- almost three years ago after 45 years of marriage. Their relationship was strong, full of love, laughter and quiet routines. His death was sudden, and it shattered her world. Since then, she's been living alone in the house they shared, and despite gentle encouragement, she refuses to ...Read more

Dear Annie: On a recent cross-country flight, I had an uncomfortable experience that left me wondering about basic airplane etiquette. I was seated in coach, where space is already tight, when the person in front of me reclined their seat all the way back -- immediately after takeoff, without a word. Suddenly, my tray table was inches from my ...Read more

Dear Annie: A few years ago, my husband -- always kind, patient and gentle throughout our nearly 40-year marriage -- began behaving in ways that shocked me. He became verbally cruel, aggressive, and would erupt in sudden fits of rage over seemingly nothing. It escalated to the point where he threw a plastic water bottle at me and threatened to...Read more

Dear Annie: I'm a 100% disabled veteran living in Alaska, and I feel completely defeated. For the last two years, I've tried to hold state agencies accountable for serious mishandling of my case -- including falsified documents, broken agreements and using my disability against me. Despite filing formal complaints and following every process, ...Read more

Dear Annie: I'm writing in response to "Grieving and Not Prepared for a Confrontation" whose husband died before he could recoup a sum of money he lent to his brother; now, she needs that money and is looking to collect. Your wishy-washy advice to this widow on how to approach her brother-in-law Simon was like advising her to take a water pistol...Read more

Dear Annie: When our sons married and left home, my husband and I decided to make sure our sons and their families would never have to choose who to visit on any holiday. We also wanted to make sure that we got to see all of our extended family members during the holidays. So, we announced that we would always have our holiday get togethers at ...Read more

Dear Annie: I've been seeing this guy since early December. He's perfect in every way, except he seems to be attached to this one woman, "Suzy," who he became good friends with due to unfortunate pasts connecting the two of them. Since the very beginning, he has always been honest with me about his platonic relationship with Suzy.

While I have ...Read more

Dear Annie: This letter is in reference to the aunt and uncle who provided generous gifts to their six nephews, only to be forgotten when it came time for those same nephews to thank them.

I would suggest that they do what I have done with my 20 grandchildren: I'll give them birthday cards and gifts until age 18. At that time, I let them know ...Read more

Dear Annie: I have been dating my boyfriend for almost eight years. We were high school sweethearts, and we are each other's first everything, so we've only been with each other.

I've had a guy friend for about six years because we worked together. We've since stayed friends once we both left our jobs. I do hang out with him, but I always let ...Read more