ArcaMax

DEAR ABBY: My adult daughter is single and lives alone. She lives five hours away but manages to visit every two months or so. The problem is, when she comes home, we hardly ever see her. She's mostly at her cousin's house. During her most recent visit, we saw her a total of one hour a day the five days she was here -- just enough time for her ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I have a condition where I tend to pass out frequently, and standing for long periods of time is a known trigger for me. I just received an exciting job opportunity that would require me to be on my feet all day.

As you can imagine, this has me feeling incredibly nervous, and I am unsure whether I should take the job. On one ...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: Since moving to a new area, I've found that people ask where my family is from and react oddly when I confess that I don't know.

We are white, and we have lived in the rural South for generations. Growing up, it never seemed strange to me that we had no other explanation for our presence there. My great-grandparents were all ...Read more

Dear Annie: When did airplane seats become so small? I hadn't flown in six years until this past spring, when I booked a flight to attend a family wedding. I reserved a window seat so that I could relax in comfort. But the experience was anything but comfortable.

For starters, the man next to me in the middle seat must have been 6'2" tall and ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I have a child with a woman I'll call "Kara," who is now my ex-wife. Our son lives full time with me and my new wife, whom I married three years ago. Kara was diagnosed with schizophrenia five or six years ago, which is what ultimately led to our divorce. She has only recently been able to keep a job despite her condition, which is ...Read more

After next week, this column won't be appearing in my local newspaper, all because of a speech I gave last week.

This makes it sound entirely more dramatic than it is, but that's how you reel in a reader. The more boring answer is that I'm running for city council.

After three days of practicing a two-minute speech and using a ladle to mimic a...Read more

Dear Annie: My youngest is set to move out of the family home in the next month or two. We don't mind her living at home, but she needs to move out for her own peace of mind, so she can have her own space and start to live independently. She's 22. In the past -- and still -- she has often asked for money so that she can make important payments (...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I am struggling with an invisible illness and losing patience with friends, family and acquaintances. I'm working with doctors to manage my conditions, and I'm tired of all the suggestions and seemingly positive comments I'm hearing, like, "You can do it; just put your mind to it!"

I am seeing a therapist to help with the emotional ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I had a friend over for dinner who brought along a friend of their own. While I was in the kitchen preparing food, the friend of a friend had free range of the house. After they left, I realized that a valuable item was missing, and I can't shake the feeling that it was this friend of a friend who took it. The problem is I have ...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I'm the author of three published books. I came to writing late in life, but enjoy excellent reviews and decent sales. I have managed to secure an agent, an editor and a publishing contract.

I met a slightly older writer at a conference a few years ago. My colleague has more books to their name, and their success seems to ...Read more

Dear Annie: When I was 12 or 13 years old, I had a pen pal in a different state. I'll call him "Casey." This was long before anyone had ever heard of the term "catfished." We wrote several long letters every week and sent many photographs and small gifts. At times, we would speak on the phone. This was pre-cellphone, and I would have to save ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I have been dating a man for more than two years, and I thought we had a future together. I'm 57, divorced, no kids. He's 58, divorced and has two grown children. At first, he said he was living with his parents so he could take care of his dad, who had been very ill. But it has been more than three years now!

I put bids on four ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I am currently dealing with a bit of a health scare. This scare came out of nowhere for me, as I've never experienced anything like this before, even though I'm in my 30s. What's more troubling is that my mother just told me that this is something that may run in our family. Apparently, her mother and sister experienced similar ...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I have hosted several teas for five to eight friends, most of them around my age (mid-20s) or a little younger. My difficulty is with RSVPs: Each time, I've had multiple guests tell me the day of the tea that they're no longer able to attend -- for reasons such as being tired, having work to get done or needing to go grocery ...Read more

Dear Annie: I have teenagers who are in multiple sports. My mother-in-law is a huge fan of sports and attends most events. She gets extremely excited about the game going on and is incredibly loud -- shouting during a majority of the game.

For the most part, her comments are positive, but I can tell the constant shouting of how the players ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: My grandson is 6 and very sensitive, maybe too sensitive. He's also lovable, super scientific-minded, good-hearted and generous with his little sister. However, he still uses a diaper at night and has CVS (cyclical vomiting syndrome). It's heartbreaking. For that reason, he's on a special gluten- free, no flour, no chocolate diet.

...Read more