ArcaMax

Dear Annie: I sit here writing to you starting another week much like the past six months of this year: depressed by the way time has altered my life.

I'm 76 and married. My routine rarely changes. I wake up, listen to the news and eat breakfast. I straighten up the house and make the bed. I sometimes go shopping or have doctor's visits. I ...Read more

Dear Annie: The doctor I have been seeing for over 20 years has decided to discontinue her practice in the town I live in and move to another town. I can't get to that town, so I've asked friends to recommend their doctors. But I'm dreading having to set up an appointment with a completely unfamiliar doctor.

How do I get over the anxiety of ...Read more

Dear Annie: I am an 86-year-old mother of three children, a grandmother of six and great-grandmother of eight. We have always had a great relationship with our children.

Our youngest daughter, who has always been close to us, went through a stressful divorce. Her husband had an affair, and she divorced him. She always came home every few ...Read more

Dear Annie: I have been married to my husband for 18 years, and in many ways he is a good man. He works hard, pays the bills, shows up for our children and has never been cruel or unfaithful. From the outside, I am sure people think I have nothing to complain about.

But inside our marriage, I feel painfully alone. My husband is emotionally ...Read more

Dear Annie: My husband and I are in a painful disagreement about our children's education. He went to boarding school as a teenager and says it was one of the best things that ever happened to him. He talks about the independence, friendships, the sports, the teachers and the confidence it gave him.

I did not go to boarding school. I grew up ...Read more

Dear Annie: I work in a small office where our boss is almost never there. She comes in late, leaves early, works from home whenever she feels like it and is often "unavailable" when problems come up. Meanwhile, the rest of us are expected to answer clients, meet deadlines, handle emergencies and keep everything running.

The frustrating part ...Read more

Dear Annie: I'm writing for advice about a dear friend, "Meg," who we've known for more than 40 years. She has a son, "Rodney," who went to high school with our son and who has always been on the edge of being an outlaw.

Over the years, we've seen Rodney continuously depend on his parents to finance his escapades. We saw him wreck his car and...Read more

Dear Annie: I'm 29, living in New York City, with a job I love and a great group of friends -- none of whom are single. Half are married or engaged, the other half coupled up in serious relationships. I'm generally OK being single, but going out as the perpetual third wheel is wearing on me. I've thought about making new friends; I've even ...Read more

Dear Annie: I've been married for 35 years and have four children and seven grandchildren. We are a blended family. All the children lived with, and were raised by, my husband and me.

One of my daughters was always kind of a black sheep, always doing things outside the box. As a young child, teen and adult, she always did it differently. So ...Read more

Dear Annie: My 14-year-old daughter spends far too much time on social media, and I am beginning to see it affect her mood, confidence and sleep.

She checks her phone the moment she wakes up and often stays online long after she is supposed to be asleep. If a friend posts a picture without her, she becomes upset. If one of her own posts does ...Read more

Dear Annie: I am embarrassed to admit this, but I am jealous of my best friend.

"Claire" and I have been close for more than 20 years. We met in college, stood in each other's weddings and raised our children alongside one another. She has always been the person I could tell anything to.

Over the past year, though, everything in her life ...Read more

Dear Annie: I am the person everyone in my family calls when they need something. I babysit, drive relatives to appointments, host holidays and lend money when someone is in a bind. I rarely complain because I love my family and want to be helpful.

A few weeks ago, my sister called me in a panic because her babysitter canceled before an ...Read more

Dear Annie: My husband and I raised our grandson from the time he was a baby. He is now 19, and until recently, we were very close.

When he first introduced us to his girlfriend, I thought she seemed nice enough. But now she is constantly by his side. Whenever I try to talk to him privately, offer advice or help him with something, she ...Read more

Dear Readers: On this Fourth of July, I hope you give yourself permission to slow down.

Let the day be simple.

Enjoy the sound of laughter from the next yard. Notice the flags moving in the breeze. Sit outside with a cold drink. Watch the children run through the grass. Stay up for the fireworks, even if you are tired.

There is something ...Read more

Dear Annie: I am a 31-year-old woman, and I've been with my boyfriend for five years. We've been talking about marriage for the past two -- talking about it and talking about it. Every time it comes up, it's positive. He tells me he can't wait to marry me. But Annie, the proposal still has not come. I even asked him directly when he would be ...Read more

Dear Annie: My husband is one of those people who always needs the TV on. Eating dinner? TV on. Getting dressed? TV on. Even working, he'll have it on -- muted if necessary, but on.

I'm not anti-TV, but I do feel it steals from the quality time we could be sharing. When we eat, he looks at the screen instead of at me. Beyond that, I worry ...Read more

Dear Annie: My wife (40) and I (53) have been married for almost a year and a half. A few weeks ago, she moved out and took our daughters, ages 3 and 4, with her. When she left, she said they'd be back that evening. They haven't returned. I haven't seen or spoken to my girls in almost a month.

When I ask to see or talk to them, my wife says ...Read more

Dear Annie: My husband and I are in our 70s, and although our adult children live nearby, they rarely visit us. It is always considered "more convenient" for us to go to them.

For years, I decorated our home from top to bottom for Christmas. I loved the tree, the lights and the feeling that I was creating something special for our family. But...Read more

Dear Annie: My best friend, "Ashley," and I have worked at the same marketing agency for three years. We started on the same day, bonded over bad coffee, and we have been inseparable ever since. We have lunch together almost every day and text constantly. We have even taken a few vacations together. She was the first person I told when I found...Read more