Life Advice
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Socializing at the Seafood Counter
Dear Annie: I suspect my son may be gay. He is a gorgeous, smart, successful young man in his mid-20s, who has really never shown interest in girls. I am perfectly fine with him being gay, and I hope he would realize that. I wish he would just tell me if that was the case. I'm really not sure if he is because he seems very masculine. But so ...Read more

Ask Amy: Spouse sees the worst, waits for better
Dear Amy: I am 54 years old and have been married to my (second) husband for 25 years.
My husband drinks at least six or more beers every evening. He gets up by 6 a.m. and goes to work and will work all day without any issues (to my knowledge).
He does, however, start drinking by 4:30 or 5 p.m. and will drink until he goes to bed (between 9 to...Read more
Woman Hopes Dating Leads To Committed Life Partner
DEAR ABBY: I'm a 32-year-old woman. My 20s were spent in a serious long-term relationship. It was a lot of firsts for me. After we split, I took a couple of years to sow my wild oats and find out who I am as an individual.
I'm now looking for something more than "friends with benefits." However, the last few men I've met and gone on dates with,...Read more
Annie's Mailbox: Usually Have an Answer
Dear Annie: My wife and I are caught up in our son's dysfunctional marriage. "Martin" and his wife have three children together, and he has an older child from a previous marriage. All of the children are wonderful. They do well in school. But their mom and dad hate each other, drink too much and fight constantly.
Martin was recently fired ...Read more
Getting Involved Can Take Learning a New Culture
He let the consultant finish. They outlined the new elements of the park and the benefits of changes and additions. It would be walkable, incorporate green spaces and have a modern feel. At the end of the presentation, the chair of our board asked to go back to a specific page in the PowerPoint. He pointed to the baseball diamond, which now ...Read more
Boyfriend Playing Favorites With His Kids
Dear Annie: My boyfriend and I get along amazingly well, and we have lots of interests that we share. But I do not understand his favoritism to his 40-year-old daughter. She has never lived on her own. She was married but still lived there -- with her father -- and had two children. She is now divorced but still living at home. She is an ...Read more

Ask Amy: Cohabiting couple struggles to unpack their ‘stuff’
Dear Amy: I'm a middle-aged man. My fiancée recently moved in with me.
My family had hoarding issues for generations. Long before Marie Kondo and hoarding intervention TV came along, I was in therapy and successfully dealing with this.
I've disposed of multiple dumpster loads of my ancestors’ stuff, in order to have room to live in my ...Read more
Poolgoers Leave Towels To Claim Shady Locale
DEAR ABBY: The other day I went to the pool in my neighborhood and found there were four lounge chairs with towels on them indicating they were "reserved." They are the best chairs in the pool area because they are covered by a small roof and protected from the sun. I then had to use another chair that only partially covered me.
It wasn't until...Read more
Annie's Mailbox: Cat lover Ed
Dear Annie: I feel betrayed by my husband, and he doesn't seem to see the problem.
We have been married for 40 years. "Victor" always had a wandering eye and a problem being faithful. For whatever reason, I was never enough for him. He has no idea how much he has hurt me over the years. I put up with a lot, but now he has started watching ...Read more
Woman Criticized For Brightly Colored Hair
DEAR HARRIETTE: I recently dyed my hair a fun color, and one of my girlfriends criticized me for trying to look younger than I am. I am a 50-year-old woman, and I work in the arts. She works in a corporate job, wears a conservative hairstyle and has let her hair go gray. I have the freedom to do what I want and look how I want, so I decided to ...Read more
Writing Thank-You Notes To People You Don't Even Know
DEAR MISS MANNERS: My mother has an active social life, with multiple friendships that have lasted decades. I have been assured that I have met these ladies, but that I was "just a baby" at the time.
I have been blessed with two children in the last two years, and these kind ladies give my mother presents for my children. My mom brings some ...Read more
Highly Critical High Schooler Looking to Change Her Ways
Dear Annie: I'm a 16-year-old girl and currently a sophomore in high school. High school is OK, but one thing I've noticed is that I'm really judgmental of others in my school and tend to bring them down in my head. For example, if I see a girl wearing revealing clothing, I'll call her a "slut" or a "whore" inside my head, or if I see a boy ...Read more

Ask Amy: A guest waffles on potlucks and raffles
Dear Amy: My girlfriend hosts birthday parties for her grandchildren every year, and on the invitation she asks that we bring a dish in exchange for a raffle ticket.
She has a raffle at the end of the party for something that is not of great value.
So, along with bringing a birthday present for her grandchild, I also bring a dish.
One time I ...Read more
Childhood Trauma Resurfaces For New Mom
DEAR ABBY: Throughout my childhood, my mother was controlling in many ways. One of them was my clothes. She dressed me in ridiculous outfits that I found humiliating. If I expressed an opinion about anything, I was treated as being "bad." It affected my mental health, which resulted in me hating the way I look.
I went through multiple eating ...Read more
Annie's Mailbox: Concerned Grandma
Dear Annie: I realize that you ladies are not psychologists, but I value your opinion, so I hope you (and your readers) can help me.
My darling 4-year-old grandson looks 99 percent Caucasian, but he is actually 50 percent African-American. His biological father is in prison and has not been in the picture since he slept with our daughter. We ...Read more
Cousin Needs To Confront Past Trauma From Parents
DEAR HARRIETTE: I am at a loss on how to express my concerns to my cousin. She has gone through some serious emotional trauma at the hands of her parents, and I have witnessed firsthand how she hasn't fully healed or even addressed those issues seriously. My cousin has been talking about having children, but the thought of her potentially ...Read more
Successful Guy, Sloppy Eater
DEAR MISS MANNERS: Our son is in his mid-30s and is a successful artist and businessman with a wonderful career. However, he has really terrible table manners, in spite of our efforts throughout his childhood to teach him otherwise. (His sibling has no such issues.)
He eats with his mouth open much of time, leans over the table onto his elbows,...Read more
Two's Company, Three's a Crowd
Dear Annie: This is about "Unsure," who loved her job at a school but whose husband was pressuring her to find a higher-paying job so she could contribute toward college for their teenage children.
I am writing this from the perspective of a retired public employee who is very glad to have my defined benefits pension.
It is very important to...Read more

Ask Amy: Elder man worries his daughter has ‘quit’ him
Dear Amy: As an older male I have seen fundamental changes in all types of relationships.
One change is a reduction in work ambition. Some people chose “quiet quitting” – to do as little as possible and still keep their job.
I see “quiet quitting” in relationships as well, and my daughter has chosen to quietly quit her relationship ...Read more
Boyfriend Steps Up To Act As Caregiver
DEAR ABBY: I have been with my boyfriend for three months. We've had our ups and downs. He's more into me than I am into him. I was recently diagnosed with breast cancer, and he has offered to drive me to my surgery and help me at home in recovery. He's also willing to take me to my follow-ups and help with anything else I may need.
He's ...Read more
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