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Asking Eric: Bride wants to cut terse sister-in-law from wedding guest list

Life Advice / Asking Eric /

Dear Eric: My fiancé and I are facing an impasse regarding the guest list for our upcoming wedding. I want to exclude his brother's (the best man) wife from the invitation list.

She consistently refuses to engage with me socially, going no further than a brief "hi." There has been no conflict; she simply does not converse with me. Although, if...Read more

Dear Annie: Son Moves Out With No Explanation

Life Advice / Dear Annie /

Dear Annie: I'm just heartbroken. My son moved out last year, and he never talked to me about anything before he moved. We were so close, and we always talked. But all of a sudden, he packed up and moved out with no explanation. He had met someone a year prior to that. I met her for a second, and that was it. I do know where he is living but he ...Read more

Asking Eric: Friendship with father’s best friend becomes a burden

Life Advice / Asking Eric /

Dear Eric: I'm not sure what to do about my deceased father's best friend. My father’s friend is currently 86 years old. I had hoped that he could fill me in on who my father was. My father was barely in my life; he left my brother and I with a horribly abusive mother.

Well, this gentleman "Hank" will take anything that I say and one-ups me. ...Read more

Dear Annie: Friend-Zoned and Feeling Confused

Life Advice / Dear Annie /

Dear Annie: I'm a 32-year-old single woman facing a predicament. I've been friends with a guy named "Stan" for a few months, though we haven't actually talked in over a month now. We were acquainted in high school, but we lost touch after a short while. Stan and I went on a couple of dates, and I thought things were going well, but then he asked...Read more

Asking Eric: Dance student wants to advance without insulting instructor

Life Advice / Asking Eric /

Dear Eric: I have been taking dance classes from the same instructor for years. There are a number of us students who would like to see more technique, as opposed (or in addition) to more steps, taught as some dance styles rely heavily on technique (West Coast Swing is an example).

We really enjoy the classes and the instructor's commitment to ...Read more

Dear Annie: Confronting a Loved One With an Eating Disorder

Life Advice / Dear Annie /

Dear Annie: My husband confided to me that his mother had an eating disorder in the past, and there are possible signs she may have relapsed. When she visits us, she will exercise for hours daily, regularly disparage her physical appearance and skip meals claiming that she is "too bloated" to eat. I'm never sure what is the best way to respond ...Read more

Dreamstime/Dreamstime/TNS

Ask Anna: Is it healthy for couples to need space from each other every day?

Life Advice / Dating Advice /

Dear Anna,

My girlfriend and I have been together for four years, and we’re constantly fighting about alone time. We both work full time but on different schedules. When she gets home from work, she immediately disappears into the bedroom for at least an hour — sometimes longer — to “decompress.” She insists this isn’t personal and ...Read more

Asking Eric: Deaf sister excluded by brothers

Life Advice / Asking Eric /

Dear Eric: I am the youngest of four and the only girl. I happen to be deaf (I speak and read lips). It's always been a challenge communicating with the whole family. Often the conversation feels like watching a ping-pong game and I often miss snippets of conversations and jokes.

My oldest brother got married to a woman who has a teenage ...Read more

Dear Annie: Aftermath of Dating a Narcissist

Life Advice / Dear Annie /

Dear Annie: After dating a guy who turned out to be a narcissist, my question is, how can I heal? I've tried everything, and I've even felt like I'm over it and I'm OK, but then I have my days. It's like grieving.

I fell in love with this man, and feel like I let my guard down way too soon, only to be disappointed. Yes, he pursued me heavily, ...Read more

Single File: Be Good to Yourself

Life Advice / Single File /

This is more than an exercise; this is a commandment! You absolutely must make being good to yourself a daily event. And very few people, even those closest to you, can even begin to know what that means; even that inner circle can't read your mind. No, only you can give yourself what you need to grow and thrive. But now that I've got your ...Read more

Ernest Akayeu/Dreamstime/TNS

Ask Dating Coach Erika: Is there a 'right' amount of time to have been single?

Life Advice / Dating Advice /

A new batch of questions, and a new batch of answers!

Q: When is it time to ask about how long someone has been single and whether they have been married before? In person or still in the app before meeting?

A: I have a question for you: What are you hoping to garner from this information? Is there a "right" amount of time for someone to have ...Read more

Asking Eric: Stepmother unsure about giving quarrelsome stepson inheritance

Life Advice / Asking Eric /

Dear Eric: My husband and I have been married 31 years. We each have two children of our own. They are all grown.

His boys have different mothers; I raised one and helped with the younger one. As soon as the younger one became an adult, the problems began. Around holidays he starts picking fights, stirring trouble, spreading rumors. Then ...Read more

All's Fair in Love and Sports?

Life Advice / Dear Annie /

Dear Annie: One of my good female friends graduated from a rival college of mine. We love talking smack about who has a better football team. When her school loses games, I gloat. One time this year, I said her school had zero chance of winning against my school. I did this level of trash-talking for two months, practically daily.

She said that...Read more

Asking Eric: Letter writer seeks the kindest way to end a friendship

Life Advice / Asking Eric /

Dear Eric: What is the kindest way to end friendships?

In the past, I have prided myself on being a good, loyal friend and therefore have friendships that last a very long time, some spanning decades now. However, through therapy, I have become more in tune with how I feel when I’m around people.

I have a few friends with whom I consistently...Read more

Deadbeat Boyfriend Must Be Cut Off

Life Advice / Dear Annie /

Dear Annie: I have been with a man off and on for seven years. He is my best friend, and I can't live without him. A few years ago, he stole my stimulus check of $1,200, and he brought other women home, claiming he was only doing business with them.

He doesn't have a job. I'm paying all the bills by myself, and I'm struggling. I have my own ...Read more

Asking Eric: Partner’s work perks create strife at home

Life Advice / Asking Eric /

Dear Eric: I am in a 20-year relationship with a mostly great guy, and we finally moved in together seven months ago. Things are going well for the most part considering we both lived on our own for the entire relationship.

I have a dead-end job in an office. Same old 8 to 5, five days a week. Nothing ever changes and every day is the same. I'm...Read more

Dear Annie: Don't Rule Out a Career Too Soon

Life Advice / Dear Annie /

Dear Annie: Kids today are pushed too early to make career decisions. The first two years of college are a good time to take different courses to see where one's interest lies. A major can easily be declared as a junior, and ample credits can be accumulated in that discipline in the last couple of years.

I took a career test in school that said...Read more

Millennial Life: The World We Could Build Could Be Good

The pause was brief, but stark, when some of us realized that a square on the Zoom was located in Minneapolis. There wasn't much to say as a reaction that hadn't been said before. The awkward dance feels as normal now as debating the right time to make eye contact and say hello to someone heading down the same hallway as you.

We have ...Read more

Asking Eric: Mother’s rambling tests patience

Life Advice / Asking Eric /

Dear Eric: I love my mother dearly but at 84 she has reached the point of rambling. She is still fully in control of her capabilities and is mentally acute, but her conversations are now filled with details about friends of friends and their problems, health issues, et cetera.

It would be one thing if I knew these people, but the people she ...Read more

Dear Annie: Attending the Wedding Shower with No Wedding InviteAttending the Wedding Shower with No Wedding Invite

Life Advice / Dear Annie /

Dear Annie: My grandson, "Billie" is 5 years old and still not potty trained. We have tried everything to get him to use the toilet -- rewards, bribes, "gentle threats," etc. We suspect he has encopresis -- the repeated, involuntary passing of stool into the clothing. This can happen when impacted stool collects in the colon and rectum, while ...Read more