ArcaMax

DEAR HARRIETTE: My apartment lease ends in late July, and a few of my roommates have already moved out. While I appreciate that they cleaned out their individual rooms nicely, they left a ton of their unwanted belongings scattered throughout the common areas, and they abandoned random kitchen items, food and things they clearly didn't want to ...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I remember growing up, when we had visitors who were new to our house, my mother would give them the "grand tour." I now do that with all of my first-time visitors.

I have, however, noticed that nobody else does this when I am a first-time visitor -- making my initial query about the bathroom a little awkward.

Did people ...Read more

Dear Annie: I've been in a long marriage. In the early years, we had happy times, but things have changed. For a while now, I've been enduring emotional, psychological and verbal abuse from my husband. He often makes humiliating comments about me in front of others. When I try to call him out, he says I'm too sensitive or claims he was just ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I have hemifacial spasm (HFS), a relatively rare disorder characterized by random and uncontrollable spasms on one side of the face. HFS can sometimes be alleviated through surgery and/or treated with Botox injections. HFS makes social contact challenging when the face contorts for no apparent reason, sometimes with accompanying ...Read more

There once was a village with two houses.

The first house always kept an extra chair at the table. Not for anyone in particular, just in case. A neighbor, a traveler, a soul in need of soup. None of the chairs were especially decorative; they all had a place at the table's edge. And if someone new sat in one or the other, the host never asked ...Read more

Dear Annie: I have always felt like the odd one out in my family. I love them deeply, but I cannot ignore the quiet, persistent feeling that I do not quite belong. My two younger brothers, "Tom" and "Michael," are close with each other and with our parents, especially our mom. They talk every day, go on trips together and always seem to be in ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I am a woman in my mid-20s who has had only abusive, toxic and horrendous relationships after entering adulthood. Since high school, I have spent years trying to find a "good guy" who will treat me with respect and love me unconditionally.

I made a friend online two years ago who I began recording music and podcasts with. He lives in...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: A couple of months ago, I moved from Spain to the United States with my husband and our daughter. We settled in Los Angeles after we had done what we thought was careful planning. We saved up what felt like a substantial amount of money and assumed it would give us a good cushion while we adjusted and got settled. Reality has hit...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I'm an adult with physical and emotional disabilities, and I live with my caregiver. I have an older friend who is a very sweet person with good intentions, but I feel like she doesn't really understand my needs.

Among other things, I have a catheter and use a wheelchair. She often says she wants to "take me out on the town" ...Read more

Dear Annie: I might be in love with my sister-in-law. Or to put it more accurately, I think I might be in love with my deceased wife's sister. I'm not sure if we're still truly in-laws anymore.

My wife died in a car accident three years ago. Our son was only 11 months old, so he won't remember his mother. My in-laws (both of her parents) and ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I was once a stay-at-home wife. I did all the cooking, housekeeping, etc. Due to a downturn in the industry where my husband was a highly paid executive, he returned to a health-care career using his bachelor's degree. I returned to work in a well-paying but demanding job.

So now I cook, we eat. He sits down to watch TV, and I clean ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: My girlfriend and I decided to break up. It was mutual. We both had our own grievances, and, in my opinion, we'd hit our peak. I don't think staying together any longer would've made a great difference for either of us. Things got complicated because we lived together in a two-bedroom apartment. To be amicable, I offered to take ...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I've noticed that some mature women do not change how they apply makeup as they get older, which makes their maturing features begin to look, well, clownlike.

For instance, their lipstick may be too dark for their skin tone and may be applied beyond the natural vermilion line in an effort to give the lips a fuller appearance,...Read more

Dear Annie: I'm 28 and have been dating my boyfriend, "Marcus," for a little over a year. He's kind, funny, responsible -- and everyone in my life seems to adore him. The problem is, I don't think I'm in love with him.

I've been trying to figure out if it's just a rough patch or if I'm forcing something that's not there. There's no big issue;...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I am twice divorced and recently celebrated my 61st birthday. I look pretty fantastic, and I'm in great health. My husbands were really great guys, and I have maintained positive relationships with both. My first marriage lasted 20 years; the second lasted 10. I have been flying solo for the last five years. I love my life and ...Read more

Dear Anna,

I've been with my partner for two-and-a-half years, and six months ago they came out to me as nonbinary. I want to be clear that I love them deeply and I'm so proud of them for sharing this with me — I know it took courage. They've asked me to use they/them pronouns, which I'm working on (though I still slip up sometimes), and they...Read more