ArcaMax

Dear Annie: I've been married to my husband, "David," for nine years. We have two kids, ages 7 and 4. Lately, I've been struggling with how much time he spends on his phone. Every night after dinner, instead of helping with bedtime or talking with me, David disappears into the garage or sits on the couch playing online poker. I've brought it ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I am struggling with a recent diagnosis of severe liver disease (non-alcoholic) and need to lose 30 pounds. I have had two bouts of cancer in five years as well as arthritis. I have dedicated myself to explicitly following my doctor's directions to eat organic and low-fat foods and to exercise daily to improve my liver. I face surgery...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: My eldest daughter is in a relationship with someone who is nearly twice her age. My daughter is 23, so when she shared the news with me that she was dating someone seriously, I was happy for her. She lives with me, so I'd see flowers being delivered and hear long-winded phone calls. She told me that things were serious between ...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I am an executive chef at a five-star restaurant who frequently entertains at home. I love to cook creatively and come up with ideas for things the guests have never had done before, usually with success.

However, I got some feedback after a dinner party that makes me wonder if I may have breached a rule of etiquette of which...Read more

Dear Annie: I have a cousin whom I've had a cherished lifelong friendship with.

We meet several times a year halfway between our homes and sometimes at each other's homes with our families. We often would bring each other a little something, such as vegetables from our garden or a loaf of bread from our favorite bakery.

The last time she ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: My son is a loving husband, father and son. He coaches his 12-year-old son, my grandson, in various sports and sometimes is just a spectator. I'm worried because he often berates his son's playing ability. He has yelled at him during and after games, whether he is coaching or not. He yelled and screamed at him in front of everyone and...Read more

DEAR SUSAN: OK, so there are shy men and shy women -- and not-so-shy men and not-so-shy women. Why should shyness be seen as something bad, something that needs correcting? Shyness isn't always bad; assertiveness isn't always good. We're just trying to be ourselves in a world that demands conformity. And, Susan, please don't promote women ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: Is it OK to be selective about where or when I spend time with certain friends? Or does that make me shallow? One of my best friends is loud and often asks invasive questions. She likes being in the limelight, so she draws attention to our group by joking incessantly or interjecting in conversations. I love her because she is ...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: After well over a year of enduring political campaigning, we are quite fatigued from it all. The results were quite disappointing to us.

Then our dear neighbor announced they were mounting a campaign to run for a state district office and requested our substantial financial and fundraising support.

While understanding the ...Read more

Dear Annie: When I married my husband, I was completely inexperienced and unaware of his interest in kink. Six months into our marriage, a woman contacted me claiming to be one of his submissives. She said she couldn't live with the guilt of me not knowing. I had just found out I was pregnant, and the stress led to a miscarriage.

We went to ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: We recently suffered the loss of our first grandchild. She was only 24 and taken far too soon. My partner and I are working through our grief, which is challenging as we are in different stages. He also struggles with multiple mental health issues. They make things even more difficult, as I need to help him through some outbursts ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: Now that my siblings and I are "orphans" -- both of our parents have died -- we have only one another left. This is proving to be challenging. All of our old childhood behaviors are coming back, and I feel stuck in the past. My older sister is really pushing my buttons, and I am finding it difficult to interact well with her ...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I own a beachfront timeshare with two bedrooms, each with a full bath attached. When I invite a guest, should I offer them the much larger "owner's suite," or the very-nice-but-smaller guest suite?

Do I take my guidance from the names of these spaces, or should I give my guest the larger space?

GENTLE READER: The reason you ...Read more

Dear Annie: I've been married for over 25 years, and from the outside, it probably looks like we have a stable life. We raised kids together; we pay the bills; we attend family functions. But inside the walls of our home, I feel painfully alone.

My husband and I barely talk anymore unless it's about schedules, errands or something to do with ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I have been married for 22 years. It was a normal relationship, and I was very happy. However, over the last 12 years, my wife has changed. There is ZERO affection, no hugging, holding hands and nothing sexual. We are like roommates. She blames it on having been molested when she was a child. Our level of intimacy was normal for 10 ...Read more