ArcaMax

Dear Annie: I have had a close friend for 44 years. We have been through marriages, children, illnesses, holidays, losses and all the ordinary ups and downs that come with a friendship that lasts nearly half a century. That is why something very small has hurt me more than I expected.

Recently, I was very ill for three weeks with vomiting, ...Read more

Dear Annie: My sister moved in with our parents in the family home. After my mother sadly passed away, my father and sister continued living there together. Over time, my sister seemed to take over the running of the household. She even had the telephone disconnected, and there were other decisions made that left me feeling increasingly shut ...Read more

Dear Annie: My husband and I took in five siblings after both of their parents died, even though we were already raising a large family of our own. Overnight, our lives changed. The children were 7, 9, 12, 13 and 15 when they came to us, and we did our best to give them safety, stability and love. We showed up for school events, sports, camps ...Read more

Dear Readers: Wishing all the mothers out there a Happy Mother's Day. Mother's Day can be beautiful, but it can also be complicated. For some, it means flowers on the table, handmade cards, little hands carrying breakfast to bed and adult children calling just to say, "Thank you." For others, it can stir up grief, disappointment, distance or ...Read more

Dear Annie: I'm devastated. My oldest and dearest friend of 50 years visited me recently. We had a good day together, and everything seemed normal.

A few hours after she left, I found a letter she left in my bathroom. It said some very hurtful things -- that our friendship was toxic and she was walking away. She's blocked me from calling or ...Read more

Dear Annie: My dad is turning 73 next month, and my mom is throwing this big party for him. She is begging me to come, but my parents live across the country -- a six-hour plane ride. I work full time and have two kids under 5. My family only takes a trip like this once or twice a year, and if I'm really honest with myself, I don't want to ...Read more

Dear Annie: I am the grandmother of two. My almost-3-year-old granddaughter told me she does not love her "Uncle Dave." I asked her why and she said because he tickles her. Her parents, my son and his wife, push their kids to "give hugs" upon visiting and leaving friends and relatives.

I mentioned this to my daughter-in-law, and she seemed to...Read more

Dear Annie: My husband and I are raising a surprise baby at a stage in life when we thought our child-rearing years were mostly behind us. Our older children are already teenagers and young adults, and while we adore this little one, I would be lying if I said the large age gap has not brought some unexpected emotions with it.

On one hand, ...Read more

Dear Annie: I have a friend I have known for years, and our sons have grown up playing lacrosse together. On the surface, we are both supportive sports moms who cheer from the sidelines, pack the snacks and talk about practices, tournaments and college hopes. But underneath it all, I have started to feel something painful that I can no longer ...Read more

Dear Annie: My husband and I have lived in our modest home for many years in a quiet, beautiful neighborhood where the houses have always felt gracious and in scale with one another. We are not extravagant people, and our little house has never been the biggest or fanciest on the block, but it has always been our sanctuary. We worked hard for ...Read more

Dear Annie: I have a teenager who is bright, funny and, in many ways, a good kid. They do well in school, have friends and can be thoughtful when it counts. But when it comes to life at home, it is as if none of it registers.

I feel like I am constantly scanning the house, noticing what needs to be done -- the overflowing trash, the empty ...Read more

Dear Annie: "Ashton," a popular boy from my child's elementary school class, moved away in the middle of last year. A couple of months later, his mom let me know they would be visiting. She asked if I would organize some of Ashton's classmates for a get-together, and I agreed.

I sent out invitations to meet at a park for two hours to play, ...Read more

Dear Annie: I work in a small office where everyone is friendly, but one co-worker has taken "friendly" to a new level. Over the past year, she's begun confiding in me about deeply personal issues: her marriage troubles, financial stress, arguments she's had the night before. At first, I listened out of kindness. But it's becoming a daily ...Read more

Dear Annie: I was really excited when I landed my dream job a few months ago. It has great pay and a title that can really take me places. But now, just a few months in, I'm pulling my hair out. We're in our "busy season," which means lots of late nights and working weekends. Every time I finish one assignment, two more pop up. My problem isn'...Read more

Dear Annie: I am a woman in my early 40s, living several states away from the town where I grew up. My relationship with my parents has always been complicated, especially with my mother, and for the last 25 years I have also been estranged from my older sister. She still lives near my parents, while I built my life far away.

The issue comes ...Read more

Dear Annie: My husband is a wonderful man in many ways, but lately I feel more like the household manager than his wife. We both work full time, yet somehow I am still the one remembering birthdays, scheduling appointments, keeping track of the groceries, planning family events and noticing when something around the house needs to be done. If ...Read more

Dear Annie: I have read your responses to letters about barking dogs and neighborhood noise, and I appreciate the calm, compassionate way you approach these conflicts. You encourage people to start with empathy, assume good intentions and try to work things out neighbor to neighbor. That sounded wise to us, so we followed that advice exactly. ...Read more

Dear Annie: My sister-in-law, "Kay," was once one of my closest friends. For more than 25 years, we were there for each other through everything: marriages, divorce, raising children, heartbreak and all the ordinary ups and downs of life. We never had a serious fight, and I truly believed we would always be family in every sense of the word.

...Read more

Dear Annie: My husband has three children from his first marriage. For the first 20 years of us being married, everything was great. But the last 15 years have been hell with two of the children. They became super religious and political to the point they are always pushing their way of life on us.

We told them to stop, that we have our own ...Read more

Dear Annie: My brother-in-law is constantly making offensive and over-the-top jokes. Whenever I call him out, he tells me I'm "too sensitive."

To me, that's the same as saying, "I don't care about your feelings and I'm going to blame this conflict entirely on you!" I always point this out, but it seems to fall on deaf ears.

This is ...Read more