ArcaMax

DEAR HARRIETTE: My friend and I have been talking for a month now about booking a summer vacation together to Greece. I recently brought it up again, and she said that she canÕt go anymore because she booked a different vacation with a different friend. She didnÕt mention it beforehand or talk to me about possibly changing plans. She just said...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: My husband and I are in our 80s now, but we have been married only 20 years. This is a second marriage for each of us.

People are frequently asking us how long we have been married. I feel sure that they want to hear a good story about the cute couple being together for 60 years. After hearing our answer of 20 years, more ...Read more

Dear Annie: My husband and I have been together for more than 30 years. In the beginning, we were the couple who couldn't keep our hands off each other. We smiled easily, held hands without thinking, and felt lucky just to be in the same room after a long day.

Somewhere between raising three kids, becoming grandparents, and moving into our ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: My husband and I (both male) have been together for 28 years. The last few years have been less than romantic, but we remain close and in love (or so I thought).

A few days ago, he called me from work (I'm retired) crying so hard I could hardly understand him. I rushed to his office, and he told me he had just learned from his doctor...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I am a Caribbean American; both of my parents have backgrounds in the West Indies. Although my mother was born in America, her Caribbean culture was influential to my upbringing and formative years. My father was born and raised in the Caribbean. I frequently spent extended periods of time on his home island. Although I was ...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I realize it's an unpleasant world with unpleasant people who are going to say unpleasant things. But sometimes, you have to get down on their level in order for them to get the message.

For instance, in cases where a stranger calls someone fat, that person could give an equally rude response, such as: "Yeah? Well, you're ...Read more

Dear Readers: Presidents Day isn't the flashiest holiday. There are no fireworks, no heart-shaped chocolates, no songs you can't escape in the grocery store. It tends to arrive with a shrug, a long weekend and a mysterious sale on mattresses.

But I've always liked it for what it can quietly be: a reminder to think about character.

Not the ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I work in a place where being friendly to customers is part of my job requirement, but I feel like many guys interpret this the wrong way. It seems I am a "jerk attractor," and I don't know how to make it stop. The worst of these jerks can't take a hint that I'm not interested. One of them is a co-worker who sexually harasses me all ...Read more

It was the twirling end of the mustache I noticed first, before I realized he looked familiar. This was not unexpected, as I had been sitting in the Utilities boardroom for a few years, even before I was elected. When I interviewed him for a story about his time at Utilities, he was still new to his role; now he's the second-in-command at the ...Read more

Dear Annie: From the outside, my life looks like the kind of "before" photo people put in gratitude journals. I have a husband who is genuinely kind, kids who still call and actually want to tell me about their days, and a steady job that pays the bills and even gives me a sense of purpose. Friends tell me I'm lucky, and I know they mean it. I...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I have been dating "Rita" for four months. We peck on the lips, hug and hold hands, but we have had only one real kiss so far. Rita was first married for 22 years to an emotionally abusive man and then remarried to a manipulative one. She said we were going too fast and she wanted to slow down. I understood and have exerted no ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: Yes, it's Valentine's Day, but I don't like to buy into it. Expectations seem ridiculously high for this manufactured holiday.

I have a relatively new girlfriend. I like her a lot, but I'm not into this day. I have told her as much, and she seems disappointed. I absolutely hate that I become the bad guy if I don't want to bow to...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I am a widow with many acquaintances and activities. I am physically and verbally affectionate with family members and close friends, and am generous with hugs and "I love yous."

A gentleman friend and I have become close, and feel affection for each other. But since we are both averse to a serious relationship, the words "I ...Read more

Dear Readers,

Valentine's Day has a funny way of making people take attendance of who remembered the holiday, who didn't, who has plans, who pretends they do, who smiles at the grocery store display of roses and who speeds past it like it might ask a personal question.

If today feels joyful for you, wonderful. Enjoy every bit of it. If today...Read more

DEAR ABBY: A good friend of mine, "Louis," has big problems. He is in his 60s, and although he's 50% disabled, he can still work custodial jobs. His sister, "Gayle," who lives 500 miles away, asked him to move in with her and her husband, saying they would help take care of him.

Louis moved, not realizing his sister was a severe alcoholic. She'...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I recently took out loans so I could go on a vacation. I know that sounds financially irresponsible, but I hadn't gone anywhere in 10 years. I work paycheck to paycheck, and I needed a break from working all the time. For a moment, the trip made me feel human again, rested in a way I haven't felt in years. Now that I'm home, ...Read more