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Dear Annie: The doctor I have gone to for years recently took a five-month medical leave of absence. His office would not tell me anything, which I understand. I had been extremely distraught not knowing if he was all right. There was even gossip that he had passed away.

Turned out he had pneumonia. He once told me that if I ever moved out of...Read more

Dear Annie: I just read today's "Second Chance Daughter" column about "putting away the bitterness, regret and anger of growing up with an abusive mom." Her dad wasn't much better; he deliberately never stepped forward to intervene on his daughter's behalf.

My sister, brother and I never went to our father and told him about what was going on...Read more

Dear Annie: I'm a recently divorced man in his mid-60s. I have no children and am secure in my job. I've been on a couple of dates since my divorce that haven't gone well.

One day, I ran into one of the nurses I met while I was in rehab after my stroke in 2016. We became friends and shared intimate details about our private lives with each ...Read more

Dear Readers: Happy St. Patrick's Day! Today, March 17, we remember and honor St. Patrick, the patron saint believed to have popularized Christianity in Ireland during the fifth century.

In the spirit of the occasion, I wanted to share with you one of my favorite quotes about luck from Roald Dahl: "We are all a great deal luckier than we ...Read more

Dear Annie: I am writing because I don't know how I ended up so unhappy. Part of me is angry for letting this go on for decades, while other parts of me keep hoping my husband will see what he has -- an amazing family! I have been married for over 30 years and have four beautiful and amazing kids. I was so blessed to grow up in a wonderful ...Read more

Dear Annie: I have been married to my husband for 50 years. During that time, I have been close to my husband's family. Over the years, the family has grown, and our get-togethers have been less frequent. I've had a friendship with my husband's brother's wife, my sister-in-law, who occasionally has a gathering in which she has included her own...Read more

Dear Annie: My husband and I have been married for 30 years. For the vast majority of those years, his jobs have involved a significant amount of travel, anywhere from 25 to 60% of his work days, depending on the job he has held. Sometimes he would be away for weeks at a time. Additionally, his workday when he was not traveling usually brought...Read more

Dear Annie: My husband is constantly on his phone, scrolling through social media, playing video games or chatting with friends. I feel like I'm always competing for his attention, and it's driving me nuts.

I have complained many times, and he promises to pay more attention to me, but his addiction to his smartphone takes priority every time....Read more

Dear Annie: Your reply to the couple who lost their newborn daughter on Valentine's Day, reprinted from your 2019 column, struck a chord.

While they have been blessed with another baby, it in no way diminishes the loss of their firstborn. I have not known the grief of losing a child and am therefore unqualified to claim that I understand it. ...Read more

Dear Annie: I'm 63 and number eight of a Catholic family of 10. Only one sibling remains Catholic; most of us went to other churches and are now Christian. During my childhood, I seemed to be the one to get it bad in terms of punishment.

One day, I told my mom the neighbor kid had spit in my hair. Rather than being sympathetic, my mom cut off...Read more

Dear Annie: My parents divorced over 20 years ago, and each of them subsequently remarried wonderful people that my sister and I have been so fortunate to have in our lives. Sadly, my loving stepfather passed away last month after a brave battle through a lengthy illness.

Although my parents did not maintain a relationship post-divorce, and ...Read more

Dear Annie: I just want to start by saying I love my mother-in-law. She has helped me with the kids more often than not, and I am extremely grateful for her. My issue is when it comes time to tell my toddler "no," my mother-in-law just laughs, which makes my toddler laugh and encourages her to keep doing whatever it is we told her to not do (...Read more

Dear Annie: I just finished reading your response to the "Mother of Little Valentine." I am writing this with tears in my eyes.

How truly beautiful and gentle your response was to Valentine's Mother. I hope it brought her some comfort.

So thank you for your beautiful words of comfort. -- Words of Comfort

Dear Comfort: Thank you for your ...Read more

Dear Annie: On Valentine's Day this year, my wife and I did nothing together. That's because she feels hurt, and she is upset and mad at me. I said some words to her a few days ago, and then, like a fool, I did it again!

My wife has a tender heart, and she is sweet, kind, a great mother and an even better grandmother. So, what's the problem ...Read more

Dear Annie: I find it incredible that so many people want to push their views on children who do not belong to their family and then pass judgment on their parents. There have been numerous scientific studies proving that children become smarter and more confident when they play by themselves or with other children without adults' ...Read more

Dear Annie: I called a buddy of mine the other day. This is one of my best friends from college. I am trying to call my friends more. We text every day but rarely get the chance to actually hear each other's voices.

As we are getting caught up, we start talking about work. We both run our own businesses and often compare notes. He travels a ...Read more

Dear Annie: I came across your column while searching for tips on how to deal with my marital situation. I don't know what else to do. My heart's broken. I feel depressed, like my whole world has come crashing down on me. I have been with my husband for eight years and married for almost two years now. Things were overall great until we moved ...Read more

Dear Annie: I have been married for almost 20 years. My husband used to be very jealous and controlling, but we have navigated through that, and he has gotten over these issues. However, his sarcasm is cutting me to the bone. He is very rude to everyone in public -- waiters, clerks, cashiers, etc. He embarrasses me so badly. He isn't rude to ...Read more

Dear Annie: I am so upset. A long-distance relative is visiting my parents. For some reason, he has taken a shine to me, but he is cruel to my sibling. He constantly makes derogatory comments about him, saying he's big and making multiple comments about his size or weight. Sometimes it is obtuse, asking him, "Where are you going, to get more ...Read more

Dear Readers: In a recent column, I was critical of the sudden popularity of using diabetes drugs to lose weight. I was responding to news reports that a growing number of people are using them for casual weight loss to drop a few pounds. But too many readers felt that I was not current on the latest scientific studies in this area for the ...Read more