ArcaMax

Dear Annie: I've worked as a night-shift nurse for the past six years and have always struggled with sleep, but lately it's gotten worse. I'm lucky if I get four hours during the day, and when I do, I wake up feeling anxious and jittery. I've tried blackout curtains, white noise, melatonin, you name it. I even sleep with earplugs and my phone ...Read more

Dear Annie: I'm 27 and recently moved back to my small hometown after nearly a decade away. I took a job here to be closer to my mom, who's recovering from a stroke. It's been an adjustment, but I'm managing. The problem is my former best friend, "Kelsey."

We were inseparable in high school but drifted apart during college. No falling out, ...Read more

Dear Annie: I'm an only child in my early 40s, and I'm at my wits' end trying to care for my 74-year-old mother. She lives alone and insists she's "just fine," but I can see she's slipping -- physically, mentally and emotionally. She has high blood pressure, diabetes and serious arthritis, but she won't stay on her medications. She hasn't been...Read more

Dear Annie: I've been with my boyfriend for over three years. We met when I was a freshman in high school and he was a sophomore. I fell head over heels right away, and we became official nearly a year later. Over time, I learned about his painful childhood -- absent father, a mother who had him young and has since moved away, a hostile ...Read more

Dear Annie: I never thought I would be in this position, but I have become estranged from my adult daughter. We used to be incredibly close. When she was younger, we had long talks late into the night, and we would laugh until we cried on road trips. I was there for every heartbreak, every success, and I truly believed we had a bond that would...Read more

Dear Annie: I'm really struggling with how to handle my daughter's relationship. She's in her early 20s and is smart, funny and ambitious. I'm so proud of her. But I just can't seem to get behind her boyfriend.

He's not unkind, but he's ... aimless. He can't seem to hold down a steady job, he leans on her emotionally (and sometimes ...Read more

Dear Annie: I have a job I love, but I'm at risk of losing it because I'm lazy and I procrastinate. My job is mostly autonomous, which makes it a little too easy to put things off and not work hard -- but now it's catching up to me.

Do you have any advice on how I can become a harder, more proactive worker before it's too late? -- Lazy in ...Read more

Dear Annie: I'm struggling with how to move forward after my adult daughter, "Rachel," cut me off two years ago. We used to be close. I raised her as a single mom after her father left, and we leaned on each other through a lot. Things started to change after she got married. Her husband, though polite, has always kept a distance from me. I ...Read more

Dear Annie: I am concerned that my wife has given up on life and there is nothing I can do to help.

For background, I am a 67-year-old man, and my wife is around the same age. We married about 20 years ago, and she was able-bodied and working.

She has multiple health issues. She is at high risk for cardiovascular problems, based on family ...Read more

Dear Annie: After living in separate cities for most of our adult lives, my older sister moved just a couple of miles away from me a few years ago. One unexpected benefit of her being nearby is that we are often invited to join mutual friends and extended family for dinners out. Since I am financially able, I usually pick up the tab and do ...Read more

Dear Annie: I am a 26-year-old woman deeply in love with someone my parents can't stand. He's not what they envisioned for me; he's rough around the edges, has tattoos, rides a motorcycle and works with his hands for a living. My parents like clean-cut, college-educated types in suits, and he's the complete opposite.

Yes, he has a bit of a "...Read more

Dear Annie: I'm a mom to a wonderful adult daughter, and we've always had a close bond. We live in the same neighborhood, and our grandkids can walk over to our house anytime. We spend a lot of time together as a family, and I cherish being a regular part of their lives.

My daughter's mother-in-law used to live out of state and only visited a...Read more

Dear Readers: Mother's Day arrives each year draped in flowers, breakfast trays and hand-drawn cards, but beneath the surface it carries so much more. It is a day of celebration, yes, but also one of reflection, gratitude and sometimes quiet ache.

To the mothers who are in the thick of it, wiping tears, packing lunches, offering hugs with one...Read more

Dear Annie: I'm an avid gardener in a suburban neighborhood, and in turn, I meet lots of neighbors. There's one lady who keeps stopping by with questions about her yard, which I'm happy to help answer. She even asked if I would go with her to the local nursery to help her select new plants for her garden bed, to which I agreed.

She canceled ...Read more

Dear Annie: My younger sister "Kayla" recently moved in with me while she finishes school. I offered because she was struggling financially and I have the space. At first, it felt good to help her out, but now I'm regretting the offer. She leaves dishes in the sink, stays up late watching TV loudly and has her friends over without asking. I've...Read more

Dear Annie: I have been close friends with "Marianna" since high school, and we still see each other regularly. We always split the bill when we go out to eat. I don't mind. But often I see at work (I work at a restaurant) that people will fight over the bill and offer to cover for whoever they're dining with. Marianna never does this. Even on...Read more

Dear Annie: I've been married for 16 years, and lately, I'm not sure I want to stay in this marriage.

I've always been the steady one -- the saver, the planner, the person who makes sure the bills get paid and there's something set aside for the future. My wife, on the other hand, has always been more impulsive when it comes to money. Over ...Read more

Dear Annie: I'm in my early 30s and have been dating someone for nearly two years. On paper, he is everything my parents could have hoped for. He has a stable career; he is kind, respectful, family-oriented and well-liked by everyone. My friends and family think I have hit the jackpot.

The problem is, I am not sure I feel the kind of deep ...Read more

Dear Annie: My husband and I have been together for 13 years and married for 10. We've always had what I believed was a stable, loving relationship. In all that time, we've only had a handful of arguments -- certainly nothing major or frequent.

But recently, during a heated disagreement, he said something that completely shattered me. In the ...Read more

Dear Annie: I'm a 57-year-old woman, and I've been in an off-and-on relationship for nearly 11 years with a man who is 30. Yes, there's a big age gap, but in the beginning, it felt like we truly connected. We got married, and for a while, I thought we had something special.

But over the years, he's developed a pattern: he leaves -- sometimes ...Read more