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Relationship Between Daughter and Godmother Seems to Sour

Life Advice / Dear Annie /

Dear Annie: My daughter recently and courageously moved across the country to the city her godmother lives in. I chose this friend to be her god mom based on what I thought was a beautiful bond the two had with each other. I adopted my daughter when she was in her late teens after a heck of a time in the foster care system. My friend gave my ...Read more

Ask Amy: Young bully weaponizes friendship

Life Advice / Ask Amy /

Dear Amy: My daughter, in third grade, made friends with a second-grader, “Lucy,” who lives across the street. They go to the same school.

The two girls were getting along great when all of a sudden Lucy started making friends with all my daughter’s classmates, and then telling her that the other kids don’t want to be her friend.

She ...Read more

Absentee Mother's Prognosis Prompts Different Reactions

Life Advice / Dear Abby /

DEAR ABBY: I was married young to my high school sweetheart. We had five children together. During that time, I joined the Air Force. After six years of marriage, I discovered my wife was cheating on me. Once I realized we couldn't reconcile, I told her I wanted a divorce and custody of the children. She agreed. It cost me my career with the ...Read more

Single File: Think in Many Tenses

Life Advice / Single File /

It's complicated, this single life. On your own, shunning both dependency and isolation, after a while, you adjust and learn to live in the present moment. Sleepless nights have taught you not to voyage into the future (what will be) too often and not to dwell in the past (what might have been). The fancy footwork needed to balance that triangle...Read more

Dreamstime/Dreamstime/TNS

Swipe, match … now what? Crafting the perfect opening message

Life Advice / Dating Advice /

You know the feeling: You’re swiping on Bumble, Hinge or any other dating app when boom -- it’s a match! Now comes the hard part: figuring out what to say.

There’s a unique art to crafting the perfect opening message, one that will stand out from the crowd and then lead to a response. If you take anything from this article, remember this:...Read more

College Student Surprised When Roommates Want To Move

Life Advice / Sense & Sensitivity /

DEAR HARRIETTE: I am a sophomore in college, and I have two other roommates. We live together in a dorm and have had our disagreements, but we have gotten over them. They recently told me that they are going to move out together, which caught me off-guard, and I'm left feeling surprised and somewhat abandoned. It feels so weird to me that they ...Read more

Cue The Lawyer Jokes

Life Advice / Miss Manners /

DEAR MISS MANNERS: How does one politely, yet firmly, respond to people who insult one's profession?

I am a lawyer, and I say so when I'm asked what my profession is. Some people feel it is then their right, or even their obligation, to go on a tirade against all lawyers. This happens mostly at social gatherings where I would prefer not to ...Read more

Estranged Due to a Car Loan

Life Advice / Dear Annie /

Dear Annie: I have a gift-giving dilemma. In recent years, we had a falling out with our child's spouse, and it's come down to the in-law's way or no way. As a result, the relationships with our child and grandchildren have also been impacted. Though I love them all dearly, I won't let the in-law dictate how I live my life.

I've continued to ...Read more

Ask Amy: Retirees rebound from a major whoopsie

Life Advice / Ask Amy /

Dear Amy: My husband and I retired to a wonderful Southwestern city.

Our two adult children are married and live in other parts of the country. They each have young children.

During the pandemic, my son, daughter-in-law and baby granddaughter in Florida were alone, with no nearby relatives – as were we.

After the pandemic, we decided that ...Read more

Wife Has A New Kind Of Workout In Mind

Life Advice / Dear Abby /

DEAR ABBY: I've been married to the most amazing woman for 30 years. She became a personal trainer and is in incredible shape. I'm not in her kind of shape, and I can't perform too well sexually, even with ED meds. She recently asked if she could have her (sexual) needs taken care of by a young client she trains. I'm OK with it, since I'm ...Read more

Partner Questions How To Bring Up Redecorating To Boyfriend

Life Advice / Sense & Sensitivity /

DEAR HARRIETTE: I've been dating my boyfriend for a while, and he's asked me to move in with him. I'm excited about this next step in our relationship, but I'm hesitant about redecorating or making changes to his apartment. I want to respect his space, but there are several alterations I'd like to make to make it feel more like "ours." How can I...Read more

The Boy Named Sue Can Relate

Life Advice / Miss Manners /

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I am a 54-year-old woman whose given name is Brett (a name typically given to boys). My mother loved the name after reading Ernest Hemingway's "The Sun Also Rises," and decided, long before I was born, to give that name to her child. I believe she was ahead of her time, and I admire her for that.

To be honest, I did not enjoy...Read more

Perspective Shift Helps Manage Family Drama

Life Advice / Dear Annie /

Dear Annie: When our son was born eight years ago this month, my husband and I were excited to have family from both sides come and help us and be there to support us. We had been told by many people, both at the hospital and birthing classes, what to expect. Quite the opposite happened, and while it was a confusing and difficult time for us, ...Read more

Ask Amy: Grandmother dreads Christmastime visit

Life Advice / Ask Amy /

Dear Amy: My daughter and granddaughter are coming to spend 10 days with us over the Christmas holidays.

I am dreading the visit because my 3-year-old granddaughter is unable to be around others without being the center of attention!

If adults try to have a conversation she interrupts continuously, and if she has nothing to actually say, she ...Read more

Readers Detail Options For Tech-Averse Writer

Life Advice / Dear Abby /

DEAR ABBY: This is in response to "Love My Cheap Phone" (Aug. 28). As a millennial who has worked in retail my whole adult life, I'm tired of the excuse that the older generation can't or won't use smartphones.

Personal computers have been out for decades, and smartphones have been around more than 16 years. Like the automatic transmission, ...Read more

Employee Nervous About Speaking At Work Conference

Life Advice / Sense & Sensitivity /

DEAR HARRIETTE: I have a big work conference coming up, and I am worried about my public speaking skills. Normally, I am pretty calm in social situations and I get along with everybody well, but whenever it comes to presentations or big meetings, I get really anxious.

I just got promoted, so I had to prepare a speech at the last minute, and I ...Read more

Thanks For The Thoughts; Hold The Prayers

Life Advice / Miss Manners /

DEAR MISS MANNERS: My question concerns the phrase "thoughts and prayers," which imposes one's own religion on those with differing (or no) religious beliefs.

I do respect the rights of individuals to believe in and practice their own religion. I do not, however, think that any religious beliefs/practices should be forced upon others.

I am a ...Read more

Too Old for a Third Kid?

Life Advice / Dear Annie /

Dear Annie: I'm a newly married 32-year-old woman, and my husband is 31. We've been married for three months, and we're both really excited to share the holiday season together for the first time as husband and wife.

My childhood family is very small. I only have my mom and sister nearby and a brother who lives 2,000 miles away. My sister has...Read more

Ask Amy: Young parents tangle over custody

Life Advice / Ask Amy /

Dear Amy: My youngest son "Thomas" dated "Allyssa" sporadically during high school.

It was a volatile relationship (he's non-confrontational, she loves drama).

Allyssa became pregnant at the end of his senior year (her junior year).

He took a paternity test to confirm that he was the father. They managed to work out visitation (nothing legal)...Read more

Boyfriend's Bad Advice Proves Costly To Woman

Life Advice / Dear Abby /

DEAR ABBY: I went to visit a man I was dating and there was no visitor parking available. He told me to park in any space, even though there were signs stating non-residents would be towed. He said not to worry about it, that I'd be there only a few hours. Suffice it to say, I got towed.

He did drive me to the tow yard to retrieve my car, but ...Read more