ArcaMax

Dear Annie: I am 40 years old, and I have been eating a plant-based diet since high school. I am in great shape, and my doctor is very pleased with my health status. For over two decades, friends and family have worn me down to where I feel my graciousness is down to kindling when it comes to them challenging what I put on my plate.

Many ...Read more

Dear Annie: I enjoy your daily column in our local paper. Reading the letter from "Still Grieving" brought back memories of the passing of my husband of 44 years. We had a wonderful memorial service. He would have loved it. On the one-year anniversary of his passing, you could also celebrate their birthday, as we did for my husband. My family ...Read more

Dear Annie: Several dear friends have had to put down beloved pets, and I was wondering if you could print the beautiful poem about the Rainbow Bridge? It helped me so much when I lost my beautiful Lucky! -- Missing My Four-Legged Friend

Dear Missing: Please find below a poem that has brought comfort to pet lovers everywhere.

The Rainbow ...Read more

Dear Annie: The "Mother Whose Heart Is Breaking" is absolutely right to be worried about her son. Over my 30 years as a life coach, I have seen too many men leave their wives and children to find their true selves.

Often in their 20s, they feel pressured by their girlfriends' wishes to marry, biological clocks and their own insecurities and ...Read more

Dear Annie: I've been married to the love of my life for 15 years, but the last 10 years have been different from the first five. My wife has been suffering from depression due to some health reasons with her thyroid, but my problem is that she has stopped going to the doctor.

I beg her to go, but it always ends in an argument. Recently, she ...Read more

Dear Annie: I feel like I made a mistake and need someone outside my circle to assess the situation. I have an amazing job. I get to do what I love, and the work-life balance is incredible. I spend all my time with my family and get to play with my son. I work when I can and am treated like an adult. I'm a microbiology manager and get paid ...Read more

Dear Annie: My daughter and her husband have two darling toddler girls who I adore. Their parents had no plans for child care when the first was born and just assumed I would step up. Now the girls are in day care because caring for them full time was too much for me. I still watch them when day care is occasionally canceled or the parents go ...Read more

Dear Annie: Nearly 20 years ago, after a tumultuous breakup, I met and married my current wife. I cared for her, but I did not love her as one should love another when entering into marriage.

After the breakup, and, honestly, before, I was lost. I was in my mid-20s and fearful I would never meet someone, get married and have children, and I ...Read more

Dear Annie: I am a widow who lives alone. I have three children, a son and two daughters. They are grown, married and have their own children. I am seeking your opinion and advice.

My children and I have always been close. My youngest daughter has four children -- one still at home. She is divorced due to her ex-husband's infidelity. She lives ...Read more

Dear Annie: Perhaps you can help me understand the biggest mystery of my life. I was an unwanted, unloved child -- a third girl with a brother three years younger than me. My oldest sister, who is 10 years my senior, was a child born in an earlier marriage. She lived with her maternal grandmother until she was about 12 or 13, and her ...Read more

Dear Annie: I thought I would share some fantastic advice my husband and I received from a marriage counselor a few years ago during a very difficult patch in our 28-year relationship.

I tend to get worked up over things, i.e., injustices, politics, perceived slights, etc. My husband tends to underreact as a result, thinking he will diffuse ...Read more

Dear Annie: In the waiting room of a clinic, I had to endure a long one-sided conversation by a woman on her cellphone. I can understand getting a call and quietly telling the caller that they will call them back, but people don't seem to do that.

There were at least 10 people in the waiting room, and we all had to listen to this loud, ...Read more

Dear Annie: I recently read your column in which you gave advice on how to deal with a toxic relationship between a mother and adult daughter. I have a similar issue with my 26-year-old daughter who lives with me after my recent divorce. Long story short, my daughter and I have had a tumultuous relationship since she was about 12. Every time ...Read more

Dear Annie: Back in the 1960s, my father inherited some land with houses on it from his uncle who raised him. For some reason, he let his sister, my aunt, and her family move into one of the houses rent-free.

In 2002, my father died. My sister, my brother and I inherited the property. I bought my brother and sister out at an agreed price. My ...Read more

Dear Annie: My boyfriend and I don't really keep track of our spending, but we try to make it pretty even by trading off who pays for different expenses -- groceries, date nights, travel costs, etc. We both have good jobs, and we make about the same amount of money.

Recently, however, we sat down to look at our finances and our monthly ...Read more

Dear Annie: I am 67 years old and not getting along well with my oldest daughter, who is 48.

She has a job, and she moved back to our town six years ago with my three grandchildren. I let them live with me in the house that I paid off 30 years ago and still pay taxes on and insurance. The grandchildren are a 27-year-old who has a job, a 20-...Read more

Dear Annie: After reading the letter about the wife who is out capturing feral cats for spaying and neutering, you should be aware of the Herman Bennett Foundation, which provides free vouchers to vets to cover the costs. I'm sure there are other organizations as well that would help with the costs.

What she is doing is so valuable, not only ...Read more

Dear Annie: I wanted to offer a little encouragement to "Opposites" about his relationship. You were correct in saying that sometimes relationships between opposite personality types can be the best. I've been in one for 28 years.

My husband and I were definite opposites when we were married. I'm an extroverted introvert, and he was ...Read more

Dear Annie: I have a wedding invitation etiquette question.

My niece is getting married and has only invited five of her six cousins. The one cousin not invited happens to be one of my sons. I am very upset that she has chosen not to invite him. We have not had many family gatherings since the pandemic. My mother passed last year, and the ...Read more

Dear Annie: I've been with my girlfriend for seven years and lived with her for four. She wants to get married and have kids. For the past three years, I've promised to propose every six months, but when the time comes, I back out. I even went ring shopping but couldn't pull the trigger.

Although I want to get married and have kids one day, ...Read more