Life Advice
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Toxic Family Ties and Setting Boundaries
Dear Annie: My partner's mother constantly demands attention, and everything revolves around her. Whenever we're busy or focused on other things, she lashes out -- often hurting those around her, including her grandchildren. She plays favorites, manipulates situations to her advantage and pulls the extended family into her drama. If anyone ...Read more
Mom Devastated By Daughter's Intended Wedding Plans
DEAR ABBY: My oldest daughter, "Alexa," is breaking my heart. She's engaged to a nice enough man she's been with for five years, but she has cast aside every single wedding tradition that's important to us.
Alexa won't wear an engagement ring because diamonds are "ugly" and not politically correct. She has refused to have either an engagement ...Read more

Asking Eric: Sister fears her bullying caused sister’s addiction problems
Dear Eric: I am 57, and I am the fourth of five siblings. My adolescent years were marked by loneliness, fear, bullying from others because of my weight and anxiety. I had no outlet to express myself so I either over ate or took out my rage on my younger sister.
When I grew up, I would often ruminate over how badly I treated my sister in my ...Read more
Sibling Loses Contact With Sister
DEAR HARRIETTE: My sister won't answer my calls or call me back, and I have no idea what I did wrong. She has never been great at communicating, but now she has gone radio silent. At first, I thought she was just busy, but it's been a while now, and I'm starting to worry that something is really wrong between us. I've tried texting her, leaving ...Read more
It's Not About The Yacht! (It's About The Yacht)
DEAR MISS MANNERS: I have been friends with someone for 12 years. We used to do everything together, and were even roommates for a while.
Then she met a wealthy guy at the coast. I have met him a handful of times, and he always seems nice. They are now married and live on a yacht.
My husband and I spend most of our summer vacations at the same...Read more
Is Staying Together for the Kids the Right Choice?
Dear Annie: I'm at a crossroads in my marriage, and I don't know what to do. My husband and I barely talk anymore unless it's about the kids or logistics. There's no connection, no affection -- just a quiet tension that lingers in the background of everything. We've tried counseling, and while it helped us communicate better for a while, ...Read more
Doorbell Camera Captures Parents Speaking About Daughter
DEAR ABBY: We were recorded on video and audio on our daughter's porch, thinking we were talking to each other privately. We were discussing how hurt we were that she didn't want to spend time with us on our 50th wedding anniversary, shortly after she and her husband moved out of state. They could easily have driven to a new RV park close to our...Read more

Asking Eric: After dementia diagnosis, friends disappeared
Dear Eric: I was an attorney when I started having memory problems at age 65. I retired and subsequently learned that I had a devastating rare dementia with a very short lifespan. Instead of providing me support, my friends disappeared from my life, at the time I needed them most. Friends may rally around you when you have cancer, driving you to...Read more
Husband's Work Trip Activities Come Into Question
DEAR HARRIETTE: My husband recently came home from a business trip, and as I was doing the laundry, I noticed a condom in his pants pocket. I am so upset, but I'm afraid to approach him about this. My husband travels a lot for work. I never thought that he might be having sex with someone while he's on the road. Now it seems like it's a ...Read more
Make Nosy Friends Sorry They Asked
DEAR MISS MANNERS: Between my husband and me, who have each been married previously to other people, we have four children, 11 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. We have been married to each other for almost 25 years. Six of the grandchildren and all of the great-grandchildren have been born during our marriage.
I am especially close ...Read more
When Protecting Your Child Means Speaking Up
Dear Annie: There's a little boy in my son's school -- he's 6 years old -- who has a history of being very physical with other kids, including my son. They were in the same class previously, and my son would come home upset, sometimes with bruises, telling me this boy had hit or shoved him during the day. Thankfully, they're not in the same ...Read more
Second Marriage Deteriorates As Reality Becomes Clearer
DEAR ABBY: I'm 58 and five years into my second marriage. We lived together a little over a year before getting married. I spent seven years as a caregiver for my parents before marrying my current husband.
We moved to Kentucky from Florida because his mom needed us close, but since the move, he has become someone I hardly know. We finally got ...Read more
Use the Good China Today
It started with a comment during school pickup, something my mom said about the china plates she remembered from her parents' home. The delicate plates and cups, which were kept behind glass, were reserved for use only once or twice a year. I mentioned that the china was a good metaphor for the differences in our generation. Hers kept some ...Read more

Asking Eric: Nephew plans wedding for same weekend as relative’s milestone birthday party
Dear Eric: Our family will be celebrating our mother’s 100th birthday this fall. We were planning on having an open house to include my mom’s only living sister, family and community neighbors to honor a 100-year legacy that doesn’t happen for everyone.
My niece’s son proposed to his girlfriend in February and decided to set a wedding ...Read more
Spring Has Sprung
Dear Readers: Wishing you and your families a very happy Easter and Passover. Spring is a time to get outdoors and play. It is a time for new beginnings and fresh starts. It is a time when the flowers begin to bloom and kittens are born. Below are some of my favorite poems about spring and joy and the innocence and beauty of childhood.
"Spring"...Read more
Ex-Wife Still Using 'Kids' To Hurt Their Father
DEAR ABBY: My daughter was living in my garage apartment but then got married and moved away. Her sister is in law school in another state, and her brother is even farther away in graduate school. I moved close enough to see them when they come to visit their hometown and their mother.
My ex-wife is flying the two out-of-state ones in for a ...Read more

Asking Eric: Readers share ways to talk about a child after loss
Dear Readers: On March 16, I shared a letter from “Mother of Three,” who lost her daughter five years ago and felt unsure about how to respond when people ask, “how many children do you have?” A number of readers wrote in with thoughtful and empathetic suggestions. I’d like to share four with you today.
Dear Eric: I lost my beautiful,...Read more
Matchmaker Can't Stay Out Of Friend's Love Life
DEAR HARRIETTE: A close friend of mine likes to play the role of cupid. Her interest in other people's love lives might be well-meaning, but for me it feels invasive. I'm generally a bit reserved about my love life, but my friends know about a certain someone I am interested in. There has been some subtle flirting, and so far, I like the slow ...Read more
Things No One Wants To Hear While Undressed
DEAR MISS MANNERS: I had a breast augmentation surgery 20 years ago, for reasons that I still think were good ones. I am not interested in having to justify my choice to anyone, and in any case, it's not something I could undo even if I wanted to.
I'm now single and dating. It has happened more than once that a man sees me undressed for the ...Read more
When a Snub Becomes a Breaking Point
Dear Annie: My daughter-in-law and I have never had a good relationship, but we tolerate each other because of my son.
I have tried to be a good mother-in-law. I never visit unannounced. When my DIL had surgery for breast cancer, I took her to her appointments, and I was even the one to go with her when she rang the bell at the end of her ...Read more