ArcaMax

Dear Annie: I'm an identical twin and will be turning 56 in February, but my sister behaves more like my daughter than my sister.

Annie, I'm sick of it! My twin sister turned her back on me in believing ridiculous lies told by my youngest brother. Several years later, she showed up out of the blue needing a place to live, knowing "Old Sis" ...Read more

Adapted from a recent online discussion.

Dear Carolyn:

My husband is a widower with three kids. His youngest daughter, "Danielle," is getting married. My two stepsons have been much more welcoming to me since I entered the family than Danielle has. I approached this by being loving to Danielle but non-intrusive, and hoping she will come ...Read more

Dear Annie: Recently, a friend confronted me about something that I didn't think was a big deal: Sometimes I forget to respond to texts for a while, and then I reply and say that I just saw the message. Technically, most of the time, it's a lie; I did see the message, and I just got sidetracked or zoned out or didn't feel like replying until ...Read more

Dear Amy: My parents were raised dirt-poor. They popped out baby after baby even though they couldn't afford to feed or properly house us. My folks had numerous opportunities to improve our lot in life and passed them all over. Dad was (and is) a coward when it comes to any sort of change -- good or bad.

I remember spending many winter nights ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I'm struggling with a situation with my friends and colleagues.

I have a routine I stick to which keeps my priorities in check. I get done with work, go home, have dinner, work out and spend quality time with my puppy. Lately, people keep inviting me to weeknight happy hours and get-togethers, but more often than not, I don't want to...Read more

Dear Annie: When I was a freshman in high school, I became friends with "Agnes," who was (like me) something of a social outcast. Agnes still considers me to be her best friend. That was 10 years ago.

We have both grown up to be very different people. I am repelled by Agnes' lifestyle of promiscuity and high-risk behaviors. Although she is ...Read more

Adapted from a recent online discussion.

Hi, Carolyn:

I'm finding myself in one of those surreal stories where I invested years (six of them) in a relationship with someone who insisted he did not believe in marriage and finally ended things with me so he didn't deprive me of what I wanted, only to wind up engaged to someone else about 10 ...Read more

Dear Cheryl: I was lying in bed in a rehabilitation facility after getting my first hip replacement when I was served a summons for divorce. This was after 31 years of marriage. My heart was broken. I tried everything I could think of to get her to change her mind, but she refused. I'm so hurt and depressed I don't feel like going on. -- Lost ...Read more

Dear Annie: When I was 10, I began asking for a phone. Every kid in my class had one, and I was being left out and bullied because I was the only kid without one. Now, three years later, I finally have a phone!

But my mom has restricted my access to it; I can use my phone only when she says so. I'm not allowed to text my friends -- even ...Read more

Dear Amy: I would like your opinion on something. My son and I always had and still have a normal, loving, good relationship. Fifteen years ago, when he was 25, my son was diagnosed with a brain tumor. At the time, he had been married for two years to his college sweetheart.

I was fortunate enough to get referrals for the best surgeons. The ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: My mother recently confessed to me that in my senior year of high school, she sabotaged my chance to go to my dream school (with a nearly full scholarship) because she didn't approve of my wanting to go to art school. I missed my orientation because she got the date wrong and then told me the school refused to reschedule. The truth is...Read more

Dear Annie: My brother and his wife recently stayed with us for nine months. He did some part-time work every now and then. His wife refused to find a job and mostly stayed home.

My wife and I work long hours. We also then had to do the grocery shopping, cooking and taking care of our kids afterward. During this time, my brother and his wife ...Read more

If the Cougar Fits is the 44-year-old who's getting divorced and interested in dating guys in their 20s. She doesn't want a serious relationship with them or sex. I gave her my opinion. Here are yours ...

ALLISON: Her husband was controlling and immature, and she thinks she's going to have better luck with guys in their 20s? Oh, wait; I see! ...Read more

Dear Annie: I used to write every day -- mostly poems but also essays. I really want to get back into it, but my motivation has waned. When I used to write every day, I was deeply depressed, and writing was an outlet, a stress reliever. I still want to write, but I never seem able to get myself to actually put pen to paper. I don't want to ...Read more

Dear Amy: I am getting married next summer, and have been dealing with a ton of wedding stress.

One of the major contributors to this stress is my mom.

I have tried very hard to be a Bridechilla (instead of a Bridezilla), but I am getting so frustrated I don't know what to do! I wanted to involve my mom in my wedding planning, so I brought her...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I am writing you about dating in these modern times. Lately I have become perplexed at the vanity and immoral behavior now associated with the task of dating. I'm a single man living by myself with no responsibilities but my own. I am looking for someone who will fit into my lifestyle. Unfortunately, I have encountered some roadblocks...Read more

Dear Annie: I have five younger brothers who mean everything to me. Three of them still live with my mother. Mom lived with an abusive man for years. When I was 11, she chose this man over me and put me in a foster home for two years. He is now out of the house and away from my precious little ones, but I'm afraid it's temporary. Mom claims ...Read more

Adapted from a recent online discussion.

Dear Carolyn:

A good friend has a habit that makes me crazy and I'd love to deal with it better. Whatever anyone says, she tries to put a positive spin on it. I realize I sound like a monster for being annoyed by this, but: She'll ask how the weekend was, and I'll say it was good but I was ...Read more

We recently heard from If the Cougar Fits. She's the 44-year-old who's divorcing her "immature" husband. Her oldest child is 17. She's been hanging out with 20-something guys who'd like to be more than friends, and she's enjoying the attention.

"I'm discovering the girl I used to be," she says. "It almost feels like I'm picking up where I ...Read more