Life Advice
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Blindsided by Wife's Betrayal
Dear Annie: Three months ago, I came home from lunch and my wife had packed up her closet and said: "I'm sorry, but I'm no longer in love with you. I'm bored and lonely, and I'm moving out."
We have been together 33 years and married 32 years. It was devastating to say the least. Since then, we have spent some time together going to the gym ...Read more

Asking Eric: Feuding siblings trap mediator sister in the middle
Dear Eric: I have always been close with my only siblings, my twin sister (67) and our brother (72). But sis and bro have had many issues over the past few years and bro chooses to distance himself from her. I feel like I've always been the family matriarch and arbitrator.
Bro is now in a seniors' home with virtually no funds to speak of. His ...Read more
When Father's Vision Doesn't Match Your Own
Dear Annie: I am 36 years old, and I recently spoke to my dad. He raised me, and we have always been like best friends until I moved to Virginia, just because of the distance.
I have an older sister who lives at home and doesn't care to work, and my dad basically raises her son. I told my dad my future ambitions to adopt a child, and his ...Read more
Single File: Mirage for 2
DEAR SUSAN: I've been writing to a man on an online dating service for four months. We're both single, and he seems to know I'm hung up on him. But now he says he doesn't want to write to me as often as before. He says writing to me isn't fun anymore! What can I do to let him know how much I care for him? -- Clara
DEAR CLARA: Four months does ...Read more

Asking Eric: Husband won’t let kids have friends over inside the house
Dear Eric: My husband has told our kids they cannot have any friends inside of our home. They can play in the front yard and that is it. I don't know how to tackle this, or what to say when it's our “turn” to host our kids’ friends. I've been hosting the friends to movies, arcades, etc., but never in our home.
My husband is retired and ...Read more
Progress Over Perfection in the New Year
Dear Readers: As we step into the new year, pause to honor the journey traveled and embrace the endless possibilities ahead. Each January brings a quiet promise -- an invitation to start fresh, to grow and to live more fully. Approach that promise with open hearts and gentle determination.
The new year often tempts us to aim for perfection --...Read more

Should we have 'the talk'? When? How?
Question: “I have been dating someone for three months, and we’re exclusive (not seeing other people). I’m ready to define the relationship (DTR) but don’t want to lose him if he’s not ready. How to have the talk?”
My response:
“For better or for worse (and I hope better, of course!), that's a risk you're going to have to take. I...Read more

Asking Eric: Sisters use pets as excuse for never visiting
Dear Eric: For about 20 years, my husband and I and our two boys, when they were younger, plus a dog, traveled usually by car to visit my sisters. They never visited us. The drive to their state was 14 hours long and was not fun or cheap, but we did it mostly because of my elderly mother who couldn't travel (lived with one sister). I have a fear...Read more
Somatic Therapy Could Help With Trauma
Dear Annie: I'm a 45-year-old male and have had many traumatic events in my past, including abuses too bad to name. My problem is, as I was growing up, I was so mistreated that I never learned how to feel. I had to suppress everything I was feeling and disconnect from my emotions and body to survive.
Now that I'm grown and have been seeking ...Read more

Asking Eric: Estranged sibling debates attending brother’s funeral after rejection
Dear Eric: My brother and I have been estranged for decades, due to consecutive "family incidents" that accumulated, unresolved, over years.
A little over a year ago, I learned through a mutual friend that my brother has an incurable cancer – the kind that is hereditary and would place me at a significantly elevated risk. I immediately booked...Read more
MIL Destroying Peace
Dear Annie: My mother-in-law is currently living with my husband and me. She insisted she needed to move in with us, as she was divorcing her husband who received a much larger retirement than her and she was convinced she couldn't live on her own. She owned her house outright but refused to stay in it because she felt the upkeep of the land ...Read more
Millennial Life: Operating in Good Faith
As the calendar winds down, I reflect on the lessons learned during my first full year as a city council member. One theme stands out: my commitment to operate in good faith, even when it hasn't always been reciprocated.
Good faith is about assuming positive intentions, engaging with openness, and striving to find common ground. It's about ...Read more

Asking Eric: Seniors struggle to make close friendships in new community
Dear Eric: My husband and I are in our 70s and retired to a new community. We are engaged in church ministries and social groups that meet for dinner periodically. I volunteer and he is an avid golfer. My problem is not being able to turn new relationships into meaningful friendships. I have met many wonderful people but have a problem getting ...Read more
Love, Addiction and Healing
Dear Annie: For the past year, I have been in a "relationship" with Alex, who has simultaneously been involved with two or three other women. Despite this and a 15-year age gap, we generally get along well and share many things in common.
Recently, however, I've uncovered some deeply troubling truths about him. Alex is an addict, and his ...Read more

Asking Eric: After seven years, partner still unsure about kids and marriage
Dear Eric, I have been in a seven-year relationship with my partner. We do not have any children together and we are not legally married. I am 36 and he is 39 and I am at the point where I would like to get married and have my own child.
When we first got together, he was very much open to marriage and kids, but it seems that this has changed, ...Read more
How to End a Friendship
Dear Annie: I have known "Gabe" for 13 to 14 years now. We met through the website Meetup and have attended social events. He's awkward in social settings and wasn't included in groups. I felt bad for him, so I included him. At that time, I was planning on leaving town, so I thought the right thing to do was to continue to invite him every now...Read more

Asking Eric: House guest insists on doing wasteful chore as a ‘thank you’
Dear Eric: We have a dilemma that may seem trivial but it's driving us crazy. We're fortunate enough to have a vacation house on a small island. Water is kind of expensive, relatively. While we love to host extended family, one older relative horns in to do the dishes by hand although we have an excellent dishwasher.
The hot water waste is ...Read more
Inheritance Dilemma: Fairness vs. Feelings
Dear Annie: I will be inheriting a modest sum of money and want to gift some of it to my two married children. I also want to gift some money to my daughter's two young children to be used for future educational needs. My son and his wife don't have children and will likely not have any in the future. They lost beautiful twins born prematurely...Read more

Asking Eric: Friend avoiding long-time friend after weight gain
Dear Eric: I've been friends with "Steven" for 40 years. We've dabbled in romance a few times when we were both single, but we always return to the platonic comfort zone. We live in separate states and haven't seen each other for 15 years. We talk on the phone about once a month, and I'm satisfied with that.
Steven, however, continues to press ...Read more
Widow Struggles With Daughter's Distant Behavior
Dear Annie: I have three children, a son and two daughters. I am a widow, and my family has always been close and caring. My son lives in the same city as I do. He's very caring and checks on me every day.
My daughters live out of town, about two hours away. My oldest daughter and her husband come about once a month. They are very attentive. ...Read more
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