ArcaMax

Dear Annie: I've been married for 26 years. I have a 24-year-old son at home on the autism spectrum, and his 4-year-old daughter, of whom he has full custody. They get by with my help, and money, of course.

I have always been a very loving and supportive husband. I cook, clean, do laundry and whatever else needs to be done. I'm getting older ...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. However...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 we ...Read more

Dear Annie: I have a friend, "Donna," who lives in another state. We've been friends for three years. Due to past trauma of being cheated on, I have trust issues, not just in relationships but friendships as well. I've damaged and even lost a few friends because of these issues.

Donna is an introvert and doesn't want to talk all the time. I'm...Read more

Dear Annie: I am a school secretary. Parents often call in with issues regarding their children. Some are very personal including health, family issues, abuse, neglect, behavior, etc. Many parents go into FULL detail as to what is happening. In these circumstances, I am not the person who can assist them. Instead, I refer them to a counselor, ...Read more

Dear Annie: I read a letter in your column about inheritance issues, and I wanted to share my own story.

My mother transferred a $930,000 house near the ocean to my single brother a few years ago in secret. We found out when trying to look at money for a care home for my father.

Her argument was that he has no family or children like my ...Read more

Dear Annie: I'm writing in response to the letter from "Brokenhearted Grandma," whose husband grew angry and controlling over time. Reading about what has happened in her family brought back memories of what happened in my own family. After 20 years of marriage, my husband also became angry, self-centered, self-destructive and uncaring about ...Read more

Dear Annie: I'm 74 years of age, and I rent a room from a lady who has a 15-year-old son. I pay $600 a month for rent. I pay her $350 in cash, and I work off the other $250 by cleaning and cooking. I vacuum and make her bed and clean the restrooms. I wash dishes and clean the kitchen. When I cook food, I always wash the dishes and put them ...Read more

Dear Readers: A great many of you wrote in with stories of your own about the pain of caring for a loved one who is in the middle of an addiction. Below are two letters that I hope bring some comfort to those living with loved ones who are struggling with addiction to know they are not alone. I also encourage family members to attend Al-Anon ...Read more

Dear Annie: I am 76 years old, have taught school for over 40 years and have given thousands of lessons in the classroom. I have officiated for more than 50 years, preached for over 20 years and given hundreds of sermons, including at funerals and weddings.

But the main issue I have had since I was 8 years old is sweating profusely when ...Read more

Dear Annie: I've recently reconnected with a former co-worker with whom I had lost track of after her first husband committed suicide. She divorced her second husband when she found him in bed with another woman. She has an adult son from her second marriage.

After reconnecting, we've been talking three or four nights a week and finally ...Read more

Dear Annie: I have a close friend who I love very much, but whenever we're together, whether in social settings or professional environments, it feels like I'm always playing second fiddle to their charisma and charm.

I value our friendship and genuinely enjoy her company, but I just can't help feeling overlooked and invisible at times. It's ...Read more

Dear Annie: I was abused by my dad as a child, and my relationship with my mother was hell growing up. She was verbally and physically abusive toward me well into my 20s. She began a new relationship and things got worse. The situation between us got a little better when she became sick and I had to take care of her. My siblings didn't pitch in,...Read more

Dear Annie: My own experience tells me that your advice to Starving Wife may have overlooked another possibility.

I lived for years with what Starving Wife is experiencing. My sexual relationship began with my husband when he was 42 and I was 45. Our sexual relationship was good until we married three years later. Alas, he "just wasn't ...Read more

Dear Annie: I am very confused. I have a friend who is 70 and is in the hospital. She has put a mutual friend, "Dorothy," down as her daughter. She has a son, but he is a man-child.

Our friend Dorothy has so many obligations as it is. Dorothy and I are close, and we are similar ages. I do not have siblings, since my brother passed away at a ...Read more

Dear Annie: My longtime friend seems to be outspoken when I'm around her lately. I have a nervous habit of biting my nails, and when my friend is at my house, she yells at me to stop doing that, saying it's disgusting. It made me angry and hurt to be yelled at in my own house, but I only replied, "It's a nervous habit."

Aside from that, she ...Read more

Dear Readers: Wishing each of you a happy Easter and happy springtime. Below are some quotes for inspiration, hope and joy.

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

"'Twas Easter-Sunday. The full-blossomed trees filled all the air with fragrance and with joy."

William Shakespeare

"April hath put a spirit of youth in everything."

Marty Rubin

"The deep ...Read more

Dear Annie: I have eight beautiful grandchildren. I have been blessed to help care for six of them from birth to 5-6 years old. My daughter has twin 7-year-old boys. She has issues with me that I've apologized for and have given her space to work through things. I've never met my twin grandsons. I've only seen them in pictures and several ...Read more

Dear Annie: I'm having an issue with my partner of six years, "Alex." I love him deeply, and he's a truly amazing guy. But we have different views on marriage.

I've always dreamed of having a traditional wedding and starting a family. I think weddings are a beautiful way to show your commitment to each other. Alex, on the other hand, is ...Read more

Dear Annie: My daughter is the only grandchild, and my mother gives her a gift every time we see her. I've told her several times that we don't want to overwhelm our child (3 years old) with material things, that she has too many toys she doesn't play with. It's very important to my husband and I that our child values what she has. My mother ...Read more