ArcaMax

Dear Annie: Several years ago, at a party of 50-some people, my daughter brought up politics and confronted me about my political pick. I tried to assuage her emotions, but she kept on. I finally decided it was best to leave as her hostility was becoming more pronounced. I got my coat to leave with a friend when she got in my face and declared...Read more

Dear Annie: I am a recovering alcoholic with almost three years of sobriety.

I have a wonderful boyfriend with whom I spend many enjoyable hours. Occasionally, he is asked to join his friends for a drink. On several occasions, he has told them that he doesn't drink out of respect for me, adding, "You know ..." and looking directly at me. His ...Read more

Dear Annie: I am a woman in her late 30s and have been working at my current career for the past five years. It is a very demanding, high-paced, glamorous environment -- think entertainment/fashion industry. I am in charge of managing a medium-size group of people into getting their deadlines in on time.

For the first three or four years, I ...Read more

Dear Annie: For the past seven months, I've been having issues with my husband of 19 years. I found out seven months ago he's been talking to an old female friend. He claims that she's just a friend and that he's interacting with her only via text and calls and that nothing is going on. Every time I ask him about it, he gets upset and says ...Read more

Dear Annie: What started out as a friendly gesture to help a neighbor's family and pets during an emergency has somehow turned into our obligation to be their "service people" in noncritical situations. Now there are frequent requests to pet-sit or dog walk, even coupled with checking in on their fully functioning live-in relative while they ...Read more

Dear Annie: I would like to reply to "An Aging Adult Facing Reality." I, too, have profound hearing loss and have been wearing hearing aids since the age of 10. Since receiving my first set of hearing aids, the advancements in technology have been staggering.

My main frustration with hearing aids these days is that medical insurance rarely ...Read more

Dear Annie: I am writing in response to "Survivor of Domestic Violence," who is not sure how much to reveal about her prior relationship on dates. I'm 63 and was in an abusive marriage for 28 years. I finally had the courage to leave and break this cycle. My mother and I were both beaten by my father. I didn't understand what respect was. My ...Read more

Dear Annie: I have been with my boyfriend "Scott" for almost 11 years. We have been together since high school. We had a baby when we were young, and I've worked since I was of legal age to do so, only taking a break for maternity leave. Scott didn't start working until our daughter was 2. He worked for a small company where he ran his own ...Read more

Dear Annie: I'd like to offer an alternative perspective on your advice to "Trying To Heal," who is finding it hard to forgive her abusive mother. I would argue quite strongly, and from experience, that forgiveness isn't necessary to healing. Trying To Heal is under absolutely zero obligation to forgive her mother, and she can still heal ...Read more

Dear Annie: I recently got married to the father of my youngest child, and so far, nothing is going as planned.

Some background: When we discovered I miraculously got pregnant with my third child (his first), he wanted me to quit my job and be a stay-at-home mom.

I didn't like the idea, and I kept my foot down until she was a few months old. ...Read more

Dear Annie: My husband comes from a large blended family. His mom is married to a man he has known as his stepdad for his entire life.

Recently, our teenage daughter revealed that she's uncomfortable around this stepdad because he gropes her inappropriately while hugging and greeting her. My husband mentioned this to his mother and stepdad and ...Read more

Dear Annie: With an estimated 2.5 million couples planning on getting married this year, how can those of us who have successfully navigated marriage over the years help these couples succeed once the honeymoon phase begins to wane?

The internet and social media are filled with marital doom and gloom, and even the relationship counselors ...Read more

Dear Annie: I recently learned that my spouse had a brief affair with someone else early in our relationship. He was an old lover with whom she had had an affair years before, when he was still married.

When first confronted, her response was to give a long string of excuses denying blame. When asked why she had done this, she said she had ...Read more

Dear Annie: My husband has a small family, and his mom is single. My husband and I have two children in elementary school. My husband and I both hope to move to a bigger home in the near future.

My mother-in-law is very nice, and we get along well. She is always willing to help out. She recently retired, and she continues to make comments to ...Read more

Dear Annie: They say it's normal not to forget your first love. Is reaching out to them crossing a line?

Life for me was like a rom-com movie. I grew up as the girl next door in a gorgeous home. I was in love with the boy next door; let's call him "Ryan." We both went to different schools, but we made time to see each other daily. We had a ...Read more

Dear Annie: An acquaintance from my past (1983) contacted me in July 2019 after searching for and finding me on social media. We have been speaking on and off since then, but he now calls me every day (sometimes two times a day) and says he's making travel plans to come see me.

He lives in Canada, and I live in Massachusetts. Back in 1983, he...Read more

Dear Annie: I recently separated from my husband, and we are in the process of a divorce. The relationship was a bit toxic. But it was my choice to leave, and I left for my own mental health, as I struggle with anxiety and depression and self-esteem issues.

I have reconnected with a man I dated a few years ago. He is so sweet, and he has told...Read more

Dear Annie: Is it wrong or unethical to tell a friend that a mutual friend has COVID-19 without securing that individual's permission to discuss their medical status?

I used to be a nurse before I retired 10 years ago, and I know it's considered a breach of patient privacy laws to discuss the health status of those you are treating. But among...Read more

Dear Annie: I recently met someone on a business trip at our company's office in Arizona. I'm located in the Southeast office.

Although we work for the same company, we are not in the same department, so there is no real need for work interaction.

We did seem to hit it off really well during my visit, and I have already reached out with ...Read more

Dear Annie: I had Nordic dogs for many years and loved them dearly, but they do have a trait that might be off-putting to some. Huskies have wonderful two-layer coats that shed, no matter how well they are groomed. The sister referenced in the letter from "Concerned Husband" who doesn't pet the husky mix may just be trying to avoid going home ...Read more