ArcaMax

ATTENTION "SINGLE FILE(R)" EDITORS: THE FOLLOWING COLUMN WAS PREVIOUSLY RELEASED IN 2017. THANK YOU. - CREATORS

Agree or Disagree?

Just how bad is it to be without a mate? If you really want to know what's going on in your inner life, jump into the following and show yourself what you really think about this unmarried life by agreeing or ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I have the opportunity to take a job where my friend will be my boss. I've never worked in an environment with someone I was friends with prior to working with them, and I don't often make a habit of becoming close friends with co-workers. I'm a bit wary.

This friend of mine is someone I have known since middle school. Our ...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I was on a tennis team and was eliminated during a tournament. I was supposed to play two matches: I played one and won, but then got injured and bowed out of my second match. I then recovered, but still didn't get to play in the remaining matches.

We had a very strong team, so I knew I wouldn't play much, but thought I would...Read more

Dear Annie: I'm 65 years old, and after years of focusing on everything and everyone else, I finally feel ready to date again. The only problem is -- I'm not sure how to go about it, or if it's even realistic at my age.

I'll be honest: I have not been the best judge of character in the past. That makes me extra cautious now, especially when ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: My husband and I have been married for three years. Most of that time, it has been perfect. Six months ago, we received some amazing news: We are expecting a child! This was a miracle. We had been struggling to conceive, and I had almost given up hope that it would ever happen.

My problem is, when my husband and I started dating, my ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: My daughter just graduated from college in May, and my husband and I couldn't be prouder of her. She has a job lined up in New York City and will be moving there in mid-August. The lease at her college apartment ends in July, and we were really hoping she would come home before starting this next chapter. We thought it would be a...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I just moved into a new home, and I wanted to keep that information private at the place where I am temporarily working. I'm not particularly close to anyone there. Several people are nice to me, but not to the point of being friends.

Well, word got out about my house, and now several people have invited themselves over or ...Read more

Dear Annie: I had my kids in my early 20s, which felt right for me and my husband at the time. We live in New York City, where most parents we meet had children much later in life. At school events, playdates or birthday parties, we're often the youngest parents in the room -- sometimes by more than a decade.

While everyone is polite, I can't...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I'm struggling with the end of a friendship that has meant the world to me for most of my life. My best friend of 25 years recently married someone she had known for only a few months. I was surprised how quickly things moved, but I respected her decision and was genuinely happy for her.

During one of our last meaningful ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: My husband and I haven't been able to get a good night's rest in over a year. My 8-year-old daughter still insists on sleeping in our bed with us almost every night, and I'm at a loss for what to do. It started a few years ago when she had some nightmares, and I let her sleep with us to help her feel safe. Now it's become a habit...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: Suppose Miss Jones marries Mr. Smith and decides, for whatever reason, to retain her maiden name. She is still deserving of the married honorific, is she not?

Is "Mr. Smith and Mrs. Jones," therefore, the proper form to put on an envelope, to be followed by street address, city and state?

GENTLE READER: Deserving? "Deserving...Read more

Dear Annie: I'll be starting college this fall, and while I'm excited to grow academically, I'm also looking forward to making new friends and maybe even finding a boyfriend. But I already know one thing: I don't plan on sharing many details about my romantic life with friends -- if I mention it at all.

Here's why: I've noticed that when ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: My spouse and I are retired and on Social Security. We've both worked hard all our lives and are content living a modest retirement. Our house is paid for, and we have little debt. However, we're both experiencing physical and mental decline. I worry about our house. We aren't able to clean and maintain it like we used to because of ...Read more

I don't want to write today. There wasn't much to say after watching the horrors scrolling on my phone. Whatever I could try to shape into language feels inadequate against a video that rewires your nervous system.

It showed women and children waiting in line outside a clinic, and then they weren't. They were bombed. There was a bloody white ...Read more