ArcaMax

Dear Annie: I would like to comment on the letter you received about the daughter-in-law who is a people pleaser and wants her mother-in-law to like her. I am the granddaughter of a mother-in-law who was just like that. I grew up knowing my grandmother did not like my mom or any female who married into the family. I heard her say, "Your mother...Read more

Dear Annie: I notice many readers have problems and anxieties. Maybe something my mother taught me will help them.

She lost two husbands to illness and had a chronic illness herself. We almost lost my brother on the same day my dad died. She raised three boys in a small town taking any job available. Through all these hard times, she always ...Read more

Dear Annie: I have let myself get involved with a significantly younger guy. To make matters worse, I'm married. In my defense, before I even started talking to this other guy, my husband and I had come to a place in our marriage where we were more like roommates than husband and wife. We didn't even share the same bedroom (which was his ...Read more

Dear Annie: I'm a mom and have been married for nearly six years. But for the past few years, my husband and I have not been on the same path. We can't communicate without fighting, bickering, arguing, etc. Our sex life has been nonexistent. And I have tried talking and suggesting that we do more things together. I have even tried losing ...Read more

Dear Annie: A few months ago, someone wrote to you about how uncomfortable the bad manners of children of a relative made her feel at large family gatherings and dinners. I read your column faithfully and did not see any readers' suggestions printed in the following weeks.

Of course, large family gatherings have not happened this past year ...Read more

Dear Annie: I'm married to a wonderful man, and we have four beautiful children. However, since COVID-19 started, we discovered that we have underlying issues within our relationship. For example, he isn't the best person to communicate with. Among other things, I discovered his liking of porn, and I'm not happy about it. I have expressed my ...Read more

Dear Annie: I have been married for 15 years. A little over a year ago, I started having an affair with an ex-girlfriend. The affair ended a month ago. It is over and done with.

I am not sure if I should tell my wife about it or just keep it a secret. I feel that if I tell her, nothing good would come from it, other than being truthful. ...Read more

Dear Annie: I work in a small office with only four employees and one supervisor. Two of my colleagues and I are coffee drinkers. Instead of starting a coffee fund, we started taking turns bringing in a fresh container when we find the previous one is running low. This system has worked for us and has prevented any issues from arising.

What ...Read more

Dear Annie: I am a stepmother to a beautiful woman whom I love very much. She has given us three beautiful granddaughters and a handsome grandson. Sadly, my husband has a very rare and very aggressive form of cancer and it looks terminal.

My question for you: Do I continue to be a stepmother after his passing? I know it's most likely up to ...Read more

Dear Annie: I am 57 years old and autistic. Due to my inability to read people and my own bad choices, I am the single mother of three adult children, whom I love and am indescribably proud of. But I have never been loved. As a child, I was sexually abused by my father for years. A teacher sexually assaulted me in high school.

I'm terrified ...Read more

Dear Annie: My ex and I got married when I was 19. We stayed together for 10 years, during which I was dealing with untreated depression. That did not make life easy for either of us. Eventually, he left, leaving me to care for the kids. He gave us some financial support but was not present in their lives.

Unfortunately, I did not give my ...Read more

Dear Annie: My sister-in-law has been living with her parents for over a year, after her college graduation ceremony was canceled because of COVID-19. My wife and sister-in-law don't get along well with their parents, so she's been very unhappy there.

We invited her to our wedding last November. It was just the three of us, and she acted as ...Read more

Dear Annie: We occasionally will have friends over for dinner, and there have been times when they simply won't leave. I'm not talking about an hour or two; many times it's three or four hours after dinner!

We love our friends and are happy that they feel very comfortable with us to stay that long. My wife and I are both retired, so it's not ...Read more

Dear Annie: I raised my son, who is now 41, as a single mom. I am 75. My son and I have always been very close. Ten years ago, he married a very intelligent woman, and now I have two beautiful grandchildren.

I was getting along well with everyone, but now my life is so depressing because my daughter-in-law hates me. She is angry with me and ...Read more

Dear Readers: I wish you all an enjoyable Easter and Passover. Here's to a spring season filled with new beginnings and lots of hope, happiness and joy. Thank you so much for the joy you bring me through my column each week.

Dear Annie: My 40-year-old son is an alcoholic. He recently went through a divorce and is currently living with my ...Read more

Dear Annie: My husband and I have been married for almost 12 years. We have been together for almost 20 years and have three beautiful children. The problem is that he has always needed more assurance of love than me -- e.g., he asks, "Do you love me," even though I constantly remind him that I love and appreciate him. It's lately been more ...Read more

Dear Annie: I've been in a relationship with "Stuart" for almost three years now. In that time I've grown a lot, working to become healthier physically, mentally and financially. I eat healthily and work hard at my job. I no longer drink alcohol. I want to be the best version of myself.

However, Stuart is in a different mindset. He smokes a ...Read more

Dear Annie: My boyfriend and I have been together for 10 years. Everything was good until three years ago when a woman contacted me to tell me that she'd been seeing him. She apologized to me for it. After we got off the phone, I found her on Facebook and realized that they'd been "liking" each other's posts for years. She even posted a photo ...Read more

Dear Annie: Just wanted to say thank you for including the letters from people who really love and appreciate their spouses. Life has been difficult lately for many of us, and reading positive words is uplifting. Dwelling on people's often-petty complaints makes me feel down while reading inspiring words of love and appreciation makes me feel ...Read more

Dear Readers: On International Women's Day, March 8, I answered a reader who has three boys and wants to add a girl to their family. Her husband is wary because, if they have another baby, it might be another boy. But his wife said that even if there is another boy, she will be happy and love him forever. I suggested that she go ahead and have...Read more