ArcaMax

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

Dear Readers: Wishing you all a very Happy St. Patrick's Day! Today has a funny way of sneaking past the noise and landing somewhere tender. Yes, there are parades and pints and an impressive amount of green, but underneath all that is something quieter: a tradition of wishing one another well.

That might sound small, but it isn't. A good ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: My boyfriend, "Roy," is a quiet person. His ex-girlfriend put him and his family through something so terrible that he shuts down and pulls away from me a lot. He won't introduce me to his mother, although I have met his son. We've been together almost 18 months.

Five months ago, Roy stopped making love with me. I accused him of ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I've recently gone sober for health reasons, and it wasn't an easy decision, especially because my social life has always involved going out for drinks, celebrating with cocktails and bonding over happy hour. When my friends and I went out last weekend, they were pressuring me to drink. I ordered a mocktail, and almost ...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I was invited to a dinner party and to watch an awards show on TV. One of the hosts yelled repeatedly about the results, complained about just about everything and dropped a lot of F-bombs. He also fast-forwarded through the award categories that he thought were boring without asking if the guests minded.

After yet another ...Read more

Dear Annie: I adore my cousins, I really do. We grew up together, and when they suggested coming to stay with us for a long weekend, I was genuinely excited. I pictured late-night laughs, good meals, maybe a hike, maybe some time catching up without phones buzzing every two seconds.

Instead, it turned into "Spring Break: Middle-Aged Edition."...Read more