Life Advice

/

Health

/

ArcaMax

Single File: Marrieds -- A Close-up

Life Advice / Single File /

Indulge me if you will, dear reader, and agree to take a test. (Nothing written. I promise.) Over the next few weeks, I want you to make a point of closely observing married couples -- your parents, friends, relatives -- being careful, of course, not to make them feel as if they're under a microscope. (That alone requires tact, so there may be ...Read more

Ernest Akayeu/Dreamstime/TNS

Ask Dating Coach Erika: How do I not lose hope that I'll find the right person?

Life Advice / Dating Advice /

I understand how frustrating dating can feel sometimes, especially when you feel like you’ve been putting yourself out there over and over again. Feelings of frustration are valid.

My first question is this: Are you putting yourself out there in a productive way? Are you on two dating sites? (My recommendation is two, and if that feels ...Read more

Asking Eric: Living with Alzheimer’s leads to social isolation

Life Advice / Asking Eric /

Dear Eric: I was diagnosed some years ago with Alzheimer's. My husband of 45 or so years is wonderful but even he and many of my friends do not understand that I no longer have choices. I know they all mean well, but I have always been a very social person. I love to sing, having taken two years of voice lessons. I love to dance and watch movies...Read more

Lonely Girlfriend Gets Close To Male Friend

Life Advice / Sense & Sensitivity /

DEAR HARRIETTE: I've been swamped with work. I work in a high-demand environment and have recently been securing a number of new high-end clients. This means early days, late nights and busy lunches. My girlfriend is not happy with how rigorous my work schedule has been these past few months; she's expressed it to me, but I haven't had time to ...Read more

Friend Has New-Relationship Tunnel Vision

Life Advice / Miss Manners /

DEAR MISS MANNERS: My friend has started a romantic relationship, and although I'm delighted for her, I'm now finding the volume and intensity of her conversations difficult. We don't seem to talk about anything other than her boyfriend: where they go, what he thinks and how often they have sex.

She's also become flaky -- cancelling plans with ...Read more

Hurting for My Son

Life Advice / Dear Annie /

Dear Annie: I'm a mother of four, and a few years ago, during a difficult time, my former in-laws generously fostered my two youngest children, now 13 and 9. They've remained involved and caring, and I'm truly grateful.

The problem is my 13-year-old son often feels left out. He has ADHD and ODD, and while he can be challenging, he's also ...Read more

'Soulmate's' Appearance Could Derail Couple's Long Marriage

Life Advice / Dear Abby /

DEAR ABBY: I've been happily married for 31 years. I love my wife, but we are now more like roommates or friends than the lovers we were initially. We are also not soulmates. We both agree that few couples are.

But I MET my soulmate three years ago. The initial chemistry was amazing, and we have been "dating" ever since. I put "dating" in ...Read more

Asking Eric: Aunt and uncle hear nothing after sending check for college expenses

Life Advice / Asking Eric /

Dear Eric: Last August, my husband and I told his niece that we would help with her daughter’s college expenses. We sent $2,000 to the college for the first semester. We received a thank-you text from his niece but nothing from the student. We eventually told the grandmother, my husband’s sister, that we expected something from the student ...Read more

Partner Wants To Improve Credit Before Wedding

Life Advice / Sense & Sensitivity /

DEAR HARRIETTE: I have always prioritized my credit. For our entire relationship, I have known that my fiance has been working on improving his credit, eliminating debts and being more fiscally responsible. Months ago, when he proposed to me, some of my fears came up and we discussed that I'd be more comfortable with a wedding date that's ...Read more

Nice Try: It's Still Rude To Stare At Someone's Chest

Life Advice / Miss Manners /

DEAR MISS MANNERS: Increasingly these days, both men and women wear T-shirts with messages, mottos and insults emblazoned on them. Presumably, at least part of the intent is to communicate something. I enjoy looking at them and trying to decipher the messages.

However, to do so with women may involve a prolonged and possibly unwanted stare at ...Read more

More Than a Gut Feeling

Life Advice / Dear Annie /

Dear Annie: I am a 43-year-old woman with a 6-year-old daughter. Her father is 50. We were never in a serious relationship, just friends with benefits, until I became pregnant. At first, he wanted nothing to do with the baby and even pushed for an abortion. I chose to continue the pregnancy, and eventually he came around and was there during ...Read more

High School Teacher Considers Fling With Former Student

Life Advice / Dear Abby /

DEAR ABBY: I am a 50-year-old single mom who is extremely close with my 20-year-old daughter, who is away at college. I haven't dated for 12 years, partly because I did not want distractions from parenting.

Recently, a young man has contacted me for a casual relationship. These are my issues: He's 21. My daughter would be disgusted, and I could...Read more

Asking Eric: Friends disappear after terminal diagnosis

Life Advice / Asking Eric /

Dear Eric: I have been diagnosed with a terminal disease (ya, it's lousy) and my outlook is just a year or so. I have let very few people know. Most are very sympathetic and supportive, but a couple have totally withdrawn. Should I try to connect with them? Or just let it go?

I mean, there's nothing that anyone can do, but it seems like a kind ...Read more

Mom's Retirement Party Plans Thwarted By Finances

Life Advice / Sense & Sensitivity /

DEAR HARRIETTE: My mom is gearing up for her next big step in life -- RETIREMENT! She couldn't be more excited, and my siblings and I are so happy for her.

So much has been going on in my own life, it didn't cross my mind to plan a proper celebration for her. Earlier this week, my older sister reached out and asked if we should throw a shindig,...Read more

Decade-Plus Wedding Grudge Should Be Put To Rest

Life Advice / Miss Manners /

DEAR MISS MANNERS: When my husband and I got married over a decade ago, there was no bridal shower or wedding reception. We started to plan a reception, but it was canceled by his aunt and my mother; they did not ask me or my husband. They promised to plan a reception for us later, but never did.

All we wanted was a simple potluck, and we were ...Read more

Parenting Comes Full Circle

Life Advice / Dear Annie /

Dear Annie: When my daughter was little, I met with a potential employer who asked about my family. I told him I had a 2-year-old, and he said something I've never forgotten: His daughters were grown, and his greatest joy was talking with them as adults and realizing he had raised two amazing women. Now, at 75, I understand exactly what he ...Read more

Inmate Suspects Girlfriend Of Affair With His Brother

Life Advice / Dear Abby /

DEAR ABBY: I have been incarcerated for 21 months. I stay in contact with my immediate family, except for my brother. I suspect that he slept with my girlfriend a couple of weeks before I came to prison, although I'm not 100% sure. He tells our family members that it isn't true and that he wants me to reach out. But I don't know if I can until I...Read more

Millennial Life: There Should Be Signs

There's a joke that goes, "I wouldn't tell anyone that I won the lottery, but there would be signs." Most recently, I told a friend that I'd buy her a vintage car that could park next to my brand-new-to-me DeLorean.

My fantasy of coming into money -- maybe through the lottery, or forgotten Bitcoin, or a long-lost magical trust fund -- always ...Read more

Asking Eric: After getting caught and failing polygraph, husband still swears he’s not unfaithful

Life Advice / Asking Eric /

Dear Eric: My husband has been having an affair with a neighbor two doors down. Not only have I caught them multiple times, but I also confronted both separately, and recorded video and audio after telling them I would.

He said he wanted to take a polygraph; he failed on every question, on two separate polygraphs by two separate companies.

I�...Read more

Boundaries in Shared Spaces

Life Advice / Dear Annie /

Dear Annie: When my husband and I retired, I imagined we'd spend more time together -- relaxing, traveling, maybe picking up some hobbies. But to my surprise, he dove headfirst into a new phase of life, setting up a home office to work on electronic projects he never had time for during his career.

The problem was, I kept interrupting him ...Read more

 

Related Channels

Amy Dickinson

Ask Amy

By Amy Dickinson
R. Eric Thomas

Asking Eric

By R. Eric Thomas
Billy Graham

Billy Graham

By Billy Graham
Chuck Norris

Chuck Norris

By Chuck Norris
Abigail Van Buren

Dear Abby

By Abigail Van Buren
Annie Lane

Dear Annie

By Annie Lane
Dr. Michael Roizen

Dr. Michael Roizen

By Dr. Michael Roizen
Rabbi Marc Gellman

God Squad

By Rabbi Marc Gellman
Keith Roach, M.D.

Keith Roach

By Keith Roach, M.D.
Judith Martin, Nicholas Ivor Martin and Jacobina Martin

Miss Manners

By Judith Martin, Nicholas Ivor Martin and Jacobina Martin
Cassie McClure

My So-Called Millienial Life

By Cassie McClure
Marilyn Murray Willison

Positive Aging

By Marilyn Murray Willison
Scott LaFee

Scott LaFee

By Scott LaFee
Harriette Cole

Sense & Sensitivity

By Harriette Cole
Susan Dietz

Single File

By Susan Dietz
Tom Margenau

Social Security and You

By Tom Margenau
Toni King

Toni Says

By Toni King

Comics

Drew Sheneman The Fortune Teller Agnes 1 and Done Bizarro Andy Capp