ArcaMax

When you publish a column each week, you rarely imagine that one day someone will ask you to stand in a quiet library and account for all of it. Columns are written in response to motion. You build a shape with 800 words around it before the next deadline arrives. The work feels immediate, but somewhat temporal.

Then my syndicate decided to put...Read more

Dear Annie: My sister and I used to be close. Not "talk every day" close, but close enough that I could call her with good news or bad news and feel like she was on my side.

Lately, I feel like I'm auditioning for approval I never get.

It started small. If I mentioned a promotion, she'd say, "Must be nice," and then change the subject. If I ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: At a recent family gathering, my sister-in-law "Paula" asked my husband if she could use our bathroom. We have three in our home -- one off the kitchen, one upstairs and one in our upstairs bedroom suite. Despite the fact that she and my husband both know of my incontinence problem, she asked him to use our bathroom "for privacy."

I ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I feel awkward when people ask me how much money I make. I recently got a new job at a large tech company as a vice president, and now many of my friends and family keep asking me how much I make. In my opinion, itÕs always rude to ask how much money someone makes, so I always tell people that IÕm not going to give them that ...Read more

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