ArcaMax

Dear Annie: I am 32 years old and live with my girlfriend, "Sarah," who is 37. We have been together for eight months. Things were great in the beginning, but lately the relationship has been going south.

There is an ex-boyfriend who won't leave the picture, and Sarah is partly to blame. When he sends texts or calls, she deletes them so I can't...Read more

Dear Annie: When our sons married and left home, my husband and I decided to make sure our sons and their families would never have to choose who to visit on any holiday. We also wanted to make sure that we got to see all of our extended family members during the holidays. So, we announced that we would always have our holiday get togethers at...Read more

DEAR SUSAN: I often think that people who get wrapped up in their feelings for someone who doesn't return them (and obviously will never return them) are, at bottom, terrified of love, because this way they won't have to expose their feelings. Instead, they can fantasize about the feelings they have for the person who isn't the least bit ...Read more

I knew my girlfriend wasn't right for me, and I was super unhappy. Friends I confided in kept saying "Relationships take work" and "Take the good with the bad." I listened to them and stayed in the relationship, which led to an ugly breakup. When evaluating a relationship, how much should you take advice and how much should you rely on your ...Read more

One of the commonalities that my husband and I stumbled on was the tension-filled road trips of our youth. His family would travel hundreds of miles for church events, and he remembered the tense atmosphere radiating from the front. I recalled that my parents would start to bicker before the trip began, leaving me, as the only child in the ...Read more

Love, schmove! The word is generally overused and universally misunderstood. After temporary insanity (aka love) gives way to reality, as it should and must, far too many romantic relationships devolve into the humdrum. Partners become their parents' clones and do what they saw their parents do, not giving it much original thought. They don't ...Read more

My boyfriend of a year is caring and thoughtful and perfect in nearly every way -- except one. He's really good friends with his ex. They grab lunch every week, and she'll call him to vent or get advice. He assures me they're just friends, but I can't help but feel threatened. Is it crazy to tell him he needs to put some distance between them...Read more

My 6-year-old wanted to know what I had wanted to be when I grew up. I told him that I had wanted to be an architect. He asked me why I didn't become one. I explained that there's a difference between admiring beautiful buildings and really doing the math that came with designing them.

When I think back, I was enamored with the tilted desks and...Read more

No, that's not a typo. We're together, you and I, to explore a new and delicious way of keeping love zesty. Those of us who dream of one love for a lifetime, for whom a lifetime isn't sufficient, will take this new form of love quite seriously. (I do hope you're among them.) Actually, it's a style of living in which both partners are deeply ...Read more

I saw this meme once that said:

Me: I hate being single.

Also me:

— *Doesn’t reply on the apps for weeks.*

— *Cancels dates if I don’t feel like getting dressed.*

— *Cuts people off for the dumbest things.*

I hear things like this almost daily from both clients and friends. They complain about not wanting to be single. But when I...Read more

I'm a guy who falls into relationships too easily, ending up with women I'm not particularly interested in. I thought I had discriminating taste, but obviously my relationship track record says otherwise. How can I grow up and stop being so impulsive?

--Disturbed

You're far from alone. People will insist they're highly "discriminating" ...Read more

An email back in December had a request from a stranger. They requested I call so they could tell me a tale. Normally, I enjoy tales and replied that I would try to find time, but taking a chance on a stranger wasn't high on my priority list, particularly during a month when holiday obligations make time infinitely more rigid. I forgot to call. ...Read more

DEAR SUSAN: You recently printed a letter from a woman who said she is attracted to married men. Well, I, too, seem to be drawn to husbands. Of course, I'd never get involved with one. Plus, these men are out of my reach because they're loyal to their wives. (Maybe that's part of the attraction.) I do feel guilty, though, especially if I'm ...Read more