ArcaMax

Dear Annie: My husband and I are both in our 70s, and he's been pushing for us to sell the house and move into something smaller for over a year now. He's not wrong; it's more house than we need.

But we raised our three kids in this house. Every room has something in it -- the kitchen table my dad built, the height marks on the door frame, ...Read more

Dear Annie: I go to the same nail salon every few weeks, and lately I've noticed something that is driving me crazy. Almost every time I'm there, someone is talking loudly on their cellphone, watching videos without headphones or having a FaceTime conversation while the rest of us are trying to relax.

At my last appointment, the woman next to...Read more

Dear Annie: I am desperate to declutter our house, but my husband has a very hard time letting go of anything. Our closets are overflowing, the garage is packed, and we have boxes of things we haven't opened in years. There are old tools, clothes that no longer fit, broken electronics, stacks of paperwork and even things from hobbies he hasn't...Read more

Dear Readers: Wishing you all a very happy Labor Day. The expectation of this holiday is to take the day off, put our feet up and enjoy the last stretch of summer.

How many of you are actually able to take the time to reset and rest today?

We say we are going to relax, and then we answer a few emails. We clean the kitchen. We run to the ...Read more

Dear Annie: I travel fairly often from Miami to Europe and California, and lately I've been thinking I need to change the way I do it. I'm at the point where I'd honestly rather take fewer trips and enjoy them more than squeeze myself into economy for hours just to save money.

I'd love to fly business class about five times a year and maybe ...Read more

Dear Annie: I'm 74 and just moved in with my younger sister. Since I've been here, I've noticed she's drinking more than I remember her drinking before, close to a bottle of wine nearly every night. She otherwise seems fine. She's still doing her gardening, cooking meals for herself and meeting up with friends.

But still -- this can't be good...Read more

Dear Annie: For the 23 years I've been married, I've cooked dinner for my husband nearly every night. He has no idea how much planning, shopping and cleanup goes into it. I think he thinks the food just appears.

Recently, he's turned critical about nearly every meal: The chicken's too dry, the vegetables are too salty. I've told him how ...Read more

Dear Annie: My wife, who is 62, has always been insecure about her weight, even though I've never once cared or thought she needed to change anything. A few months ago, she decided on her own to start a GLP-1 medication for weight loss, and she's doing it under a doctor's supervision. She's thrilled with the results so far. I'm happy she's ...Read more

Dear Annie: I have a 9-year-old son from a previous relationship and a 3-year-old daughter with my current partner. He is a wonderful, involved father and partner. He makes lunches, does laundry, cleans up after dinner, helps with bedtime and will often notice something needs to be done before I even ask.

The strange part is that instead of ...Read more

Dear Annie: I have a friend I've known for more than 30 years. He is a good person, loyal and generous, and we share a lot of history. The problem is that he has absolutely no sense of when he has lost a room.

At dinner parties, he can take over the entire conversation with a story that lasts 15 or 20 minutes. And these are not short, lively ...Read more

Dear Annie: I have been married for 45 years to a man who has never wanted much adventure in his life. His idea of a big night out is taking a short drive, finding a supper club, eating dinner and coming straight home so he can settle into his recliner.

For years, I begged him to travel with me. I wanted to see new places, experience ...Read more

Dear Annie: I feel a little silly even writing this because my mother is a wonderful grandmother. She absolutely adores my children, and they adore her. But lately, I've started to feel like she is much more interested in being their grandmother than in being my mother.

A few weeks ago, I called and asked if she wanted to meet me for lunch. I...Read more

Dear Annie: Seven years ago, I retired and moved to a different state.

A friend of mine who lives in my old town has continuously used my new house like her personal hotel. She has family and friends in my area and will text, "Are you open to company?" when she wants to come visit. When she does, she only sleeps at my house while she does ...Read more

Dear Annie: I'm going through a difficult divorce after 58 years of marriage to an alcoholic. Recently he told me two things I never knew: that he slept with my sister the night before our wedding and, years later, when they were both in the military, with a friend of mine.

I always knew my sister flirted with him. She'd tried the same with ...Read more

Dear Annie: I have now been married and divorced three times, with a total of over 37 years of married life. Though I doubt I will marry again at this stage of life, I would like to find a woman interested in a lasting, serious relationship. In trying online dating services, thus far I have found most women run the other way or quickly giving ...Read more

Dear Annie: My father passed away earlier this year, and afterward my mother and sister moved to be closer to me. Since then, I have tried to help my mother as much as I can. I take her to doctors' appointments, help with everyday needs and do my best to make sure she is cared for.

Recently, my husband had to go out of state for work, and my ...Read more

Dear Annie: In response to all the working mothers who are weighed down by guilt, I'd like to share my experience.

I am 75 years old, and when I was growing up, my mother worked from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. I usually came home from school around 3:30 or 4, and my memories of that time are nothing but warm.

Before leaving for work, my mother made ...Read more

Dear Annie: I'm 22, working full time in the city, and recently started dating a guy I met through a mutual friend. We've only been seeing each other for about a month, and he really is a sweetheart. The problem is, the more I get to know him, the more I wonder whether we are simply in very different places in life.

He is in his late 20s, ...Read more

Dear Annie: For as long as I can remember, my mother has been extremely generous with gifts, sometimes to the point of being over the top. My sister and I have always thanked her, while also telling her she doesn't need to fill our cars with presents for birthdays and holidays. Still, she continues.

Lately, though, her gift giving has started...Read more

Dear Annie: I know I am stuck in the "old ways," but I am trying to adapt to changing times. It is becoming very common for couples to live together before marriage.

While I have come to accept traditional and extravagant weddings as an occasion to finally declare their commitment before church and family, what I still struggle with are the ...Read more