ArcaMax

DEAR MISS MANNERS: We enjoy continuing friendships with couples we have known from various chapters of our lives. Some of these friends now live far away, and we enjoy having them visit and stay with us.

When we have out-of-town friends visiting our home, I usually have a lasagna ready to slip into the oven or meatballs simmering in the ...Read more

Dear Annie: I've had a dear friend for nearly a decade. He has been addicted to meth, heroin, alcohol -- you name it. For years, I was the savior he ran to when everything fell apart. He's married and has two young children.

Before his youngest was born, he was a full-blown meth addict. I broke into his house multiple times after he overdosed...Read more

DEAR ABBY: My late husband was ill for six years. He experienced some dementia. He wasn't able to work, and our life together changed a lot. I focused on supporting him through his decline until he eventually ended his own life.

After his death, I discovered several secrets. He hadn't been honest about his medical condition, possibly out of ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: My husband claims that he supports my career as a lawyer in big law; however, he gets irritated when I work late. He says he feels like I donÕt have time for him and that I always put my job first over everything. I work extremely long hours, sometimes staying at the office past 9 or 10 p.m., and occasionally I even have to log ...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I'm struggling to accept the palates of my in-laws. We frequently share meals with two generations of my husband's family: The older generation only likes their ethnic cuisine and is critical of anything else. The younger generation (my two sisters-in-law, plus their husbands and kids) live on junk food and stuff prepared from...Read more

Dear Annie: I need advice about a situation I never expected. I'm 37, single and mostly happy with my life. Then my new neighbor moved in. He's charming and easy to talk to, and I realized I'm suddenly aware of every interaction, overthinking every glance or comment.

He's friendly and sociable, nothing overt, but I catch myself reading too ...Read more

PITTSBURGH -- Valentine’s Day is traditionally a happy day full of love and romance. Yet the holiday marked by heart-shaped candy and red roses can also be hard for those who’ve experienced the death of a loved one and are still grieving.

That’s especially true for children, who often don’t know how to talk about their feelings after ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: My husband and I are going on our eighth year of marriage. Last year, we experienced indiscretion for the first time -- to my knowledge, anyway. And as you can imagine, it was hard on us. My husband cheated on me with a co-worker. Apparently, it was a sort of work crush that spiraled. When I caught on, he claimed that they only ...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I am a late-middle-aged gentleman who has been an atheist for about 35 years. I have been open about this fact, but do not advertise it carelessly.

Most of my family and dear friends are devoutly religious people who are aware that I am an atheist, and they frequently offer to pray for me or ask that I pray for them.

When ...Read more

Dear Annie: My friend of 20 years confessed to having a crush on her executive coach, which then developed into a flirtation, which then became a sexting affair. I have always known she is unhappy in her marriage, but I cannot condone cheating and have told her so.

She's also started vaping, pierced her nose, talked about buying a new car (...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I am 67, and my husband is 68. For the past six years, we have been caring for aging parents. My father-in-law, who had Alzheimer's, passed away a few years ago. We went through a lot with him as his illness progressed. My mother-in-law is 87 and does not want to go into a nursing home. She still lives by herself, but my sister-in-law...Read more

Ongoing meaningful, goal-oriented work is the ultimate connection, the taproot into the world around you. By its very nature, it places you in the middle of a varied support group -- from the bank clerk who cashes your check to the salesperson who sells you clothes for the office to the people who work beside you. The routine of work itself is a...Read more

Dear Eric: I have two daughters that are estranged. I do not want to get in the middle of it, but it is getting ridiculous.

Daughter #1 did not want daughter #2 to marry her choice in husbands but she did anyway.

Now, a few years have passed and the situation is worse. Daughter #1 will not communicate with #2 and won't even acknowledge her new...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: Whenever I share a conflict, dilemma or even something IÕm skilled at with a particular friend of mine, IÕve noticed that she responds by overexplaining it back to me -- often as if I donÕt fully understand my own situation or abilities. For example, if I talk through a personal issue, sheÕll reframe it in basic terms, offer ...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I'm fortunate to have had a dear friend ever since kindergarten. We were close all through school, and when I moved a few hours away for college and work, I would see her when I came into town to visit family. We stayed in touch and saw each other at least a few times a year. I was a bridesmaid in her wedding, and we have ...Read more