ArcaMax

DEAR ABBY: I love my wife very much, but we are, unfortunately, having a communication/interpretation issue. She is inquisitive and asks a lot of questions. I become defensive when I'm questioned. Sometimes I feel it shows a lack of confidence or trust in me. My wife says I am being too sensitive.

There are times when I infer a negative tone ...Read more

Dear Annie: I have started dating a divorced Jewish man with a teenage daughter. I, too, am Jewish. "Simon" has been divorced for many years, and has continued to celebrate the important high holidays in the company of his daughter and his ex-wife (who has not remarried).

Simon and I have a lot in common, and everything is going so well between...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: When the pandemic hit and we were all sent home, my job went remote. After about six months, I moved in with my parents because I couldn't afford my apartment in the city. Now, nearly two years later, my company is saying we all have to come back to the office in the fall. There's no firm date yet, but it will be soon. I don't ...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I have always been on the fence about having children. I ultimately decided it would depend on who I meet and get serious with.

As fate would have it, I met someone who doesn't want to have kids for medical reasons. We have discussed it, and she is open to adoption if I ever want to have kids.

The issue here is my family. I ...Read more

Dear Annie: I am a 39-year-old man who is married to the greatest wife in the world. We have three boys and one girl; our oldest is 19, and our youngest is 8. A couple of years ago, I started a cabinet-making business, and it is growing faster than I could have imagined. Our oldest son works full time with me. Even with his help, I am falling ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I have been in my second marriage for almost 20 years. My wife came with two grown children, who each have two kids. I have tried to be the best family man I could, and a father and grandfather who treated them like they were my own.

My wife's daughter Diana recently disrupted everything after I gave her daughter (my granddaughter) ...Read more

Dear Annie: My husband and his brother, "Sam," are both in their 50s. My mother-in-law thinks Sam is "the golden child." He and his wife receive the best gifts, and we get whatever trash she can put her hands on. She gives my sister-in-law all the best jewelry, and I get cheap junk. She recently told me that for my birthday, she was sending a ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: My friends genuinely feel that because they do not like my boyfriend, I should consider leaving him. My boyfriend is great to me, but my friends question where he is going in his career. I sometimes question his career path as well, but we've been dating for only a few months, and I've seen major strides from him. How do I tell ...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: A former teacher of mine, a beloved figure in the community, is being given a surprise retirement party by his students, colleagues and friends. The hush-hush invitations read sternly, PLEASE, NO GIFTS! A money tree will be provided!

The rationale is that given his modest salary, he will need the money to help him retire, ...Read more

Dear Annie: My boyfriend and I have been dating for two years. He's a hard worker, which appealed to me, as I've always been the breadwinner in previous relationships. But lately, I feel like he's not putting any effort into the relationship.

For one, we always hang out at my house. I've only been to his house three times in the two years we'...Read more

DEAR ABBY: After 28 years of marriage, is it strange that I would like my wife to initiate sex? I would like to know that she is interested, not just me. When I brought it up three weeks ago, her response again was, We can whenever you want to, which wasn't true because I have been turned down before. Any suggestions? She stays home all day and ...Read more

Dear Annie: I am having an argument with my husband and need an impartial opinion.

My daughter, 19, has been dating "Thad," 21, for four years. Thad recently admitted that he cheated on her, and now she is breaking up with him. She discussed it with me and then sent him a text message that it was over. He texted her multiple times, but she didn...Read more

DEAR SUSAN: One of your columns caused me to read your bio, and I learned that your son Scott lost his father when he was very young. My mother's greatest accomplishment, she says, is bringing up her three children to have college degrees without needing a husband. (My manuscript about that experience, "The Widow's Son," won an award at a ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I was visiting with a good friend recently and noticed as he was looking at his phone that he had been watching ear wax removal videos. I asked him about it because it looked like he had a lot of these videos open. It seemed weird and kind of gross to me, and I really couldn't figure out why this seemingly normal guy would be ...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I had a group of co-workers over for dinner and one of the women brought a delicious chocolate cake for dessert. As we were finishing dessert, a neighbor dropped over.

She sat down at the dinner table and I poured her a glass of wine. She reached over and took a piece of candy that was sitting on top of the cake -- and I was ...Read more

Dear Annie: You recently printed a letter from two physicians with an alcoholic daughter. Al-Anon is the organization that supports friends and families of alcoholics, and Alcoholics Anonymous is support for the individual with a drinking problem. You recommended Alcoholics Anonymous.

We were in this couple's shoes recently. Our daughter ...Read more