ArcaMax

Dear Annie: A few months ago, my life took a turn I never expected. After noticing changes in my wife's behavior such as late nights at work, a phone that suddenly never left her side and an emotional distance that grew by the week, I followed my gut. Against every instinct that told me not to, I hired a private investigator. What he uncovered...Read more

DEAR ABBY: Our granddaughter, "Amy," who shows in 4-H, decided to take her stepdad's last name when appearing at the fair. Our son, her father, is a big part of her life. This is the second year in a row she has done this, and it hurts me and my husband deeply. Her mother, stepdad and his family think it's great. Our son has no backbone and won'...Read more

Lately, I've been arguing with campaign texts. They all start the same way: Here is the outrage of the day, and also, there's a tight deadline for funding for which your five bucks will make all the difference. I had been deleting them, but on a particularly emotionally frothy day, I replied to one. I wrote, "Tell me a vision of how your ...Read more

Dear Annie: For most of my life, I've struggled with feeling isolated. As someone on the autism spectrum, I've often found social situations confusing or overwhelming. I longed for connection but wasn't always sure how to reach for it. Then something unexpected gave me not only companionship but also a sense of purpose: my dog.

She's not just...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I was with the same person (my first "everything" guy) for 23 years. A few years after the shock of a divorce, I met someone 10 years my junior. He makes me feel I'm the most beautiful woman in the world, complimenting on what my ex considered my faults, showing I am still a sexy, desirable woman and making me feel like I matter in ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I moved into a new apartment building recently, and while I love the location and my unit, I've been having a tricky time with one of my neighbors. They frequently leave passive-aggressive notes about noise, even when I'm careful to keep my music low and avoid loud activities. Sometimes the notes feel exaggerated or unfair, and ...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I occasionally enjoy having lunch at a restaurant with a group of longtime friends. All is well until the time comes when they want to take a group photo, which, of course, gets posted on Facebook.

I do not post on social media. I do not want my life, in words nor photos, posted. So I quietly say I'll back out of camera range...Read more

Dear Annie: I've recently been diagnosed with a recurrence of cancer. The prognosis isn't good, but right now I feel OK and haven't changed my daily life. My husband is here for me, and we are considering possible treatment plans.

I haven't told my daughter yet. Truthfully, I don't know how. She has newborn twins and a 6-year-old daughter. ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I have been dating a man for 2 1/2 years. He's divorced; I am a widow. We get along well and enjoy many activities together. The problem is his 31-year-old daughter. She is very rude and unkind to me. He tells me it is not me; she would treat any female companion of his this way.

With the holidays approaching, I spoke to him about ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: This year has been extremely busy for me and my core friend group. No matter how much we try, it seems like every time we try to pick a time we can all be available to catch up and do something together, we fail. I recognize that being busy is not always something people can change, but still, isn't it important to make time for ...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: A few of my cousins have gotten married recently, and they requested that no children attend their weddings, aside from the ones performing the roles of ring bearer and flower girl.

This request would have been completely foreign when I was growing up. I have found the situation awkward, especially for family weddings, since ...Read more

Dear Annie: My husband and I have been married for 11 years, and we've always kept separate finances. It worked well until about a year ago, when he got laid off and started dipping into our joint emergency savings without telling me. I only found out when I went to pay our property taxes and the account was almost empty.

When I confronted ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: A few years ago, my uncle made a controversial comment about a social issue in my mom's family group text. The issue was important enough to my sister that she requested discussion about it cease because she didn't agree with what they were saying. When the discussion continued, she decided to cut Mom's family out of her life, taking ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I am one of the many people who have lost their job this year due to the pushback against diversity, equity and inclusion programs. I have an advanced degree and decades of experience in my field, and it doesn't seem to matter. I am having a difficult time finding work in this environment. What's worse is that some of my "friends...Read more