ArcaMax

Dear Annie: I have a problem I do not know what to do about. As I am getting old, I terribly dislike having my picture taken -- especially when I am asked to pose. I get beet red from embarrassment and start feeling sick.

Last Sunday, my husband and I attended a religious ceremony for his granddaughter "Bridget" (my lovely step-granddaughter)...Read more

Dear Annie: I am a doctor and have a friend whom I see at medical conferences once or twice a year. We first met five years ago, and we get along great, especially because there was a time when we female doctors were rare. However, our friendship is very casual, and I don't really consider her a close friend. I just think of her as someone I ...Read more

Dear Annie: My family relocated the year I was entering ninth grade, and on the third day at my new school, as I was walking home, a girl I'll call Ann ran up to my side, introduced herself and insisted on carrying my books to my home, some three blocks away. The next morning, Ann and three other girls waited on the sidewalk outside my house ...Read more

Dear Annie: Last fall, my friend "Olive" and her boyfriend of five years, "John," broke up. Of course, I wasn't happy to see her going through the tough emotions that come with any breakup, but man, I sure was happy to see that guy out of the picture. He was a jerk. He cheated on her multiple times and hardly let her see her friends. The rare ...Read more

Dear Annie: I am in a quandary about a situation. I am a widow. Sometime after my late husband passed away, an old friend and I renewed our friendship. At first, things were very pleasant, and I enjoyed his company. This gentleman was divorced. I believe that his former wife had an affair. I don't think he ever worked through the feelings of ...Read more

Dear Annie: I've never written to one of these columns before, but I do read them. My family recently bought a home in a large development in the South. We don't own a dog at this time but have in the past. The neighborhood is full of dog owners who walk their dogs and let them do their business on the neighbors' lawns, sometimes way up the ...Read more

Dear Annie: I have been in a relationship with my fiance for seven years. When we first started dating and I met his mother, she cried and said, "Take care of him." Mind you, he's 52 years old. I didn't think anything of it. Well, six years later, I can't count all the incidents of drama and manipulation that she's created.

She's incredibly ...Read more

Dear Annie: I was born and raised in America but am engaged to a Nigerian guy I met on Facebook. We have been dating for two years now through text messages, video calls and phone calls.

He claims he has no money to travel here, so his getting here mainly depends on me. I am disabled and on a fixed income because of medical problems. I can't ...Read more

Dear Annie: I work at a small office that employs all women. Most, including me, are older than 50. Over a year ago, one of my co-workers had a double mastectomy. Over the year, we all were very supportive and helpful to her. Last week, I was summoned into the boss's office to be told that this employee is having serious emotional stress ...Read more

Dear Annie: I'm in a relationship with someone whom I thought would care about and love me. I met this man almost 10 years ago.

My adult son, "Barry," lives with us, though he will be moving out soon. My partner gets home from work and complains to me about little things Barry does. For instance, he recently complained about how much toilet ...Read more

Dear Annie: I have a friend who is going through a tough time, and I am wondering how I can help her.

She was a single mother who raised two daughters and a son on her own. I am still amazed at how she provided a safe and loving home for her children all by herself. Her daughters are married and living in different states with their families....Read more

Dear Annie: My husband and I have had some difficulty getting pregnant. I am 32 and feel the clock ticking as each day without my having a fertility doctor passes.

This entire process is completely embarrassing. I am ashamed I even have to go through this. I feel as though I am less of a woman.

We recently moved to a new city, and I don't ...Read more

Dear Annie: I'm a woman in my mid-20s. About a month ago, I started seeing "Vern." He was my first date through an online dating site, so I was nervous and then pleasantly surprised when he turned out to be charming, sincere, witty and just as good-looking in person. We share a lot of the same interests and even, it turns out, have some mutual...Read more

Dear Annie: I'm a college sophomore. Recently, I baby-sat for a friend of a friend who is a few years older and lives in town with her husband and two kids. One was an infant, and the other was a toddler. It was a relatively easy baby-sitting gig; the little one mostly just slept, and the older one, though a bit of a handful at times, was not ...Read more

Dear Annie: Twenty-five years ago, my husband and I honeymooned in Kenya. While there, we both fell in love with elephants. We discovered that they are one of the most intelligent and kindest animals around. While on safari, we witnessed a baby elephant crying. The entire family went over to comfort her. The elephants seemed to express a ...Read more

Dear Annie: My husband of nearly 50 years recently retired from a long and successful career as a litigator. He loved his work very much and rarely lost a case. In the past few years, I have seen a dramatic decrease in both his health and his happiness. He always seems ready for a fight -- with a neighbor, a family member or just a server at a...Read more

Dear Annie: I am a gay divorced father of three. I divorced the mother of my children after almost 30 very difficult years of psychological and physical abuse. When we first separated, my eldest daughter pulled me aside and offered to testify on my behalf if the divorce proceedings warranted it.

This daughter is soon to marry a wonderful ...Read more

Dear Annie: From the time you are born, your parents and elders tell you to always tell the truth. When you go to school, your teachers tell you the same. And then when you enter the real world, you find that if you tell the truth, you are labeled a -- well, a word too rude to print in the newspaper. You are considered rude and opinionated. ...Read more

Dear Annie: I'm hoping you'll print this for Be Kind to Animals Week. While traveling, my daughter saw four dogs lying beside an interstate. When she stopped, two ran off into the woods. With the aid of another motorist, she managed to get two dogs into her car and drive them to a shelter in the nearest city. One was adopted. The other was not...Read more

Dear Annie: I am having an issue with our 13-year-old bichon frise and am hoping that you can point me in the right direction. We adopted our dog when he was 1 year old, and he was house-trained. Until recently, our work schedule allowed us to walk him three times a day. Midsummer, my husband changed jobs, and we now are able to walk him only ...Read more