ArcaMax

Dear Annie: I'm in a tough spot. A close friend of mine, who I've been urging for years to save for a rainy day, is now facing a very real storm. She was diagnosed with breast cancer and is undergoing treatment. Knowing her financial situation -- living paycheck to paycheck despite her and her husband's high-paying jobs -- I felt compelled to ...Read more

Dear Annie: My sister is eight years younger than I am. She was homeless, so my older sister took her and her grown son to live with them. "Laura" works at a plant-related business and makes minimum wage. Her grown son is an alcoholic and does not work anywhere. He forces Laura to buy him cigarettes and alcohol. When he is not drinking, he is ...Read more

Ah, writer's block -- the invisible brick wall that every writer inevitably faceplants into. As a millennial, I've waded through all the unprecedented events, but trying to parse them to share weekly is hard. The cursor is tapping its little pixelated foot, impatiently waiting for me to birth a sentence worthy of the digital page. I've never ...Read more

Dear Annie: I joined a dating site and receive so many responses that it overwhelms me. The problem is that I'm an older woman who looks completely different from the picture I sent. Let me explain: I put on my makeup and hairpiece (I have thinning hair due to a thyroid gland).

When all this is done, I look like a totally different person. It...Read more

Dear Annie: In a couple of weeks, I will attend my dad's wedding. He is 77 years old and this is his fourth wedding. That isn't the biggest issue, though. My sister and I (both in our 50s) were surprised to find out about five months ago that his fiancee is none other than the woman he had an affair with 30 years ago, while married to our mom....Read more

Dear Annie: My husband and I have been married for 21 years. Our sex life has been very active, but other than that, he's never shown me public affection.

Whenever we go out, whether it's to the store, kids' concerts, open house at school, or sports tournaments, he never walks with me. In fact, he usually walks far in front of me and never ...Read more

Dear Readers: Did you ever offer advice that you regretted because you were focused on one issue but failed to see the big picture? I did that recently, and my mistake was a doozy. A reader wrote to me telling how she had escaped an abusive marriage and found a new partner and had been happily married for many years. I chose to congratulate ...Read more

Zen teachings include a lesson on the sound of one hand clapping. For Buddhists, that leads to deep and provocative wisdom, definitely instructive as a life lesson but not where we're going here. In a less lofty (but more realistic) world, where give-and-take is the name of the game, both hands must be clapping to create the sound of true love. ...Read more

Dear Annie: I'm a recently divorced mom with three adult children. My husband was physically and emotionally abusive throughout our marriage. He originally left me and my three young children when they were just toddlers, but we eventually reconciled. However, when the kids were in college, he sent me divorce papers. I begged him to reconsider...Read more

I've settled down to write at my kitchen table with my son playing on his computer across from me. I catch his eyes, and his cheeks squish as he smiles, probably still charmed by me being the Block Mom yesterday when I fed him and a few stray kids that haunt our street popsicles, then soup. My daughter was at a pool party, so an impromptu ...Read more

DEAR SUSAN: I happened to catch your column titled "Workaholism -- Part 1." In my opinion, you nailed it. Women are quickly overtaking men as the workaholic gender, and it's very damaging to their relationships -- in particular, their romantic relationships. I Ieft a five-year relationship with a woman, primarily over disputes about work-life ...Read more

I'm someone who watches horror movies from behind fingers in front of her eyes or a forearm shielding me from what I'm imagining as the worst of it. This is how I watched the first 10 minutes of the Biden and Trump debate.

As a millennial, I've grown accustomed to the feeling of a horror show and the lingering disappointment it creates. From ...Read more