ArcaMax

DEAR HARRIETTE: My godson is 22 years old -- soon to be a college graduate beginning his life as an adult. He confides in me about his life, including his dating life. He told me that he is being courted by a woman who is 20 years older than him. She is attractive and has a good job, but I think that's too old. He's just starting his life. This ...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: What do you do if someone takes your chair? Does it matter if it is the throne of a ruler of great lands?

Let me explain.

My family and I were waiting to be seated at a restaurant and we found a corner of a bench to rest. A few minutes go by, and a little patron (preschool age) came and said, "Hey, you're in our seat!" I ...Read more

Dear Annie: Three months ago, I ended a two-year relationship with my boyfriend. We lived together in my apartment. The breakup was painful and overdue. I've blocked his number and have no interest in reopening that chapter.

The problem is that his mail is still arriving here. Not just catalogs, but things that look important -- a bank ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I am in my late 30s. I live halfway across the country from my parents and don't have the best relationship with them. I also have a brother four years younger from whom I have been estranged for 20 years. He lives in the same city as my parents.

My problem is, if I visit, my parents (especially my mom) will tell my brother and ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: My friend and I are going on a trip to Iceland. The other day, we were looking at dates to book our flights; we decided on a seven-day trip, and my friend decided to book her flight on the spot while I held off to double-check my work schedule and compare prices. After she booked her flight, she realized that she booked it for a ...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: My co-worker, who has been trying to become a supervisor for the last 15 years, and maybe will one day, always seems to have to inquire about everything.

My grandma passed away, and I got approval from HR and my boss to take bereavement leave for the memorial services. My bereavement time will not affect this colleague's work...Read more

Dear Annie: My younger sister is getting married this fall. I'm happy for her. The problem is her fiance.

At family dinners he makes little digs at her -- jokes about her cooking, her spending, even her weight. When she laughs uncomfortably, he says, "Relax, you're too sensitive." Last Sunday, he teased her about "finally locking him down ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: When my daughter entered her teens, she and her friends began borrowing each other's clothes. I didn't approve, and I warned my daughter that if anything became lost or damaged, I would not be responsible, nor would I replace the item. She said she understood and continued the practice.

As I predicted, some of her clothes went ...Read more

The recent wildfires in Northern California were a dramatic testament to the need for community, proving that all of us are -- without question -- our brother's keeper. And what better population to energize compassion than the unmarried, sandwiched between generations (usually with fewer obligations) and freer to use their time and energy for ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: Lately, my anxiety has been keeping me up at night, scaring me away from windows, crowded places, public transportation and tall buildings, and causing excessive overthinking. With recent developments between the United States and countries like Iran, I am afraid all the time. Social media doesn't help by simply mocking all this ...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I was dining within inches of an occupied table for two at a restaurant. One of the men at that table asked his dining companion if he knew where the restroom was located. He didn't.

I had asked the same question of a waiter, now nowhere in sight, 15 minutes earlier. I told the diner that the restroom was outside the main ...Read more

Dear Annie: I never thought I would be writing to an advice column, but here I am, because my heart is full and my mind is spinning.

I am a Catholic woman in my early 30s, and I have fallen deeply in love with a wonderful man who is Jewish. He is kind, thoughtful, funny and steady in a way that makes me feel safe. He remembers the little ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: My husband and I are in our early 60s. For the last five years, we have been having some great fun. We dress up, role-play and invite friends to join us from time to time. It has been wonderful and has kept us young.

Then one of our adult children had to move back home. He never goes out. His girlfriend comes and stays the weekends. ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: There's a guy who's constantly liking and responding to my posts on social media -- I'm talking for two years and counting! A few years back, he was married to someone I'm only a few degrees separated from. I didn't know the woman, but I'm friendly with her sister. So even when they divorced and he started complimenting me on ...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: My brother and sister-in-law invited my family of four for a dinner of corned beef and cabbage to celebrate St. Patrick's Day. They also invited my mom and dad, along with my aunt, who was visiting them from out of town.

My aunt does not like corned beef and cabbage, so my mom said that they would bring pizza for her. I had ...Read more