ArcaMax

Dear Annie: You told a reader to call doctors by their last name until invited otherwise. Your writer had called the doctor by the first name on the first visit. Had she never been to a doctor before? No one should think this is appropriate!

This is a formal, professional relationship, and a measure of respect is needed. This is not a casual ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I met this man online a year and a half ago. We have been together ever since. There is a serious problem with him watching porn. When we met, I knew he was doing it when I was not with him. He knows I'm not happy about it, and he tried for a while to keep it hidden from me. More recently, he would watch it and then want to come get ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: My boyfriend and I have been dating for four years. He recently proposed to me, and his parents personally contacted me for a get-together. My boyfriend was not included, as they claimed they only wanted to get to know me. I work as a bartender, which is what they know about me. However, besides that, I have investments and ...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I was wondering what the appropriate mourning period would be for ex-college sweethearts who are now in their 80s.

The man's wife died a few weeks ago after a four-year battle with dementia. During that time, his widowed neighbor and former fiancee (from over 40 years ago) supported the couple with frequent meals and visits. ...Read more

Dear Annie: I get my car detailed at a business near the beach in Los Angeles. When I took my car there, I meant to move the spare change that I kept for parking meters and laundry out of the car, but I did not. I forgot.

When I got my car back, there were about $8 in quarters missing, but dimes, nickels and pennies were left behind. I ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I was married to a wonderful woman for 27 happy years until she passed last year. We did everything together. Now I feel lonely and depressed. We had a sweet furry guy named Maxx who was our whole world. I lost Maxx a few months ago, and I am devastated.

I'm a very hardworking man. After losing my family, I feel lifeless -- like the ...Read more

I'm someone who watches horror movies from behind fingers in front of her eyes or a forearm shielding me from what I'm imagining as the worst of it. This is how I watched the first 10 minutes of the Biden and Trump debate.

As a millennial, I've grown accustomed to the feeling of a horror show and the lingering disappointment it creates. From ...Read more

Dear Annie: I am divorced with two teenage children. I caught my ex-wife having sex with her best friend's husband ("Cris"). My wife and I had a long-standing friendship with this other couple, including taking many family vacations together with our children. It turns out my ex and Cris had been having a secret, torrid affair for years.

At ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I'm a single retired grandfather in the South. My daughter, 50, has hitched her wagon to an alcoholic. She's circling the drain and going down with him.

My grandsons are adults and scattered around the country. They are lazy and none of them has a full-time job. We used to keep them during the summers until their mid-teens. Now I don...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I'm a recently divorced mom with three adult children. My husband was physically and emotionally abusive throughout our marriage. He originally left me and my young children when they were just toddlers, but we eventually reconciled. When the kids were in college, he sent me divorce papers, but he eventually reneged after I ...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: My husband and I are having an outdoor cocktail party. Since it is outdoors, would it be acceptable to have people enter through our yard gate instead of going through the house, then into the yard?

We will have people welcome guests as they walk up to the house and show them where to go. We will be using our guest house's ...Read more

Dear Annie: I'm writing to seek your guidance regarding a challenging situation with a member of my team. The relationship with this staff member has been tumultuous, marked by frequent ups and downs that have left me and the rest of the team feeling unsettled and uncertain about how to proceed.

This team member has pronounced personality ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: My elderly father died recently. Although he had a variety of ailments, including heart disease, his death was unexpected. He spent many years of his life trying to save my drug-addicted, criminal sister from herself. Despite occasional periods of sobriety, she has invariably returned to her evil ways.

Three days before Dad passed, ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I have been saving up for the past few years with one goal in mind: To finally get my hands on my dream car, a classic 1969 Ford Mustang. The thought of owning this iconic vehicle has fueled my day-to-day work and drive all these years. Yet my family -- especially my parents -- have expressed concerns about my decision. They fear...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I have a family member with whom I have a challenging relationship. I go out of my way to be civil and polite, but also to keep my distance. (Avoiding her completely would mean declining all family gatherings.)

She singles me out for catty behavior, and is outrageous, but not insulting, to others. This dynamic has been going ...Read more

Dear Annie: My brother, "David," has been struggling with alcohol for years, and it's starting to take a toll on our family. Recently, he lost his job and moved back in with our parents, who are both retired and not in the best health. They feel obligated to help him, but it's causing a lot of stress and financial strain.

I want to support ...Read more