ArcaMax

DEAR ABBY: My husband and I are in our 50s. For several months, I have been struggling with an issue I have with my mom. She constantly asks me how much my annual income is and how much my husband makes. In the 20-plus years we have been married, we have never asked to borrow money from my parents (or anyone, for that matter). We have always ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: Recently, my neighbor, who has always been eccentric, has embarked on an unusual gardening project. Instead of traditional plants, he's turned his backyard into a sprawling sanctuary for rescued wild animals. At first, it seemed harmless, but the situation has escalated. His yard now attracts wildlife, including raccoons, skunks and ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I have a female friend, "Kylene," who needs yard work done weekly. My fiance, "Josh," goes over there to do the work for her. He charges $60. During the last two weeks, she has been popping up at our home uninvited. Kylene knows Josh's work schedule and makes sure she sees him daily at the neighborhood bar around 4 in the afternoon. ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: My daughter, "Violet," lives about two hours away. She and her mother (my wife) do not get along. Violet was always a rebellious, independent wild child, as well as the source of a lot of family problems. Violet and I also were estranged until we recently reconciled.

Yesterday, she sent me an email inviting me to lunch to celebrate ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: About eight months ago, I stumbled on my husband watching online porn. He admitted to habitual use but said it was just a stress reliever and he would stop viewing it. Meanwhile, I am plagued by feelings of not being enough for him, mainly before or during sex but also at random times of the day and night.

I am a small-breasted woman...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I'm struggling with something that feels both silly and painful. I've developed intense feelings (maybe even "limerence") for a man I know, and no matter how hard I try, no one else seems to compare. I have tried dating apps, looking at younger guys, older guys, conventionally attractive guys. Nothing clicks. I keep thinking, why can'...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I felt compelled to write to you after reading the "plight" of the parents of the bride of "Ruined Wedding in New York" (April 23). As someone who's worked in the hospitality field for more than 30 years, I have seen my share of bridezillas and in-laws who behave badly because they blindly believe that all of THEIR wishes and demands ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: After their 25th anniversary dinner, my nephew "Will" was blindsided when his wife announced that she had never loved him and has been in love with her stepbrother since her teens. Will had supported her completely and gladly. (She wanted to be a stay-at-home mother; he makes good money.) This hurt him terribly.

Will has met another ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: My husband and I have been amicably married for 16 years. We enjoy each other's company and are home together a lot. However, over the last year or so, I have had an increasingly hard time hearing what he's saying. He sits in his chair and mumbles to the point where I can't tell if he's talking to me or to himself. He also tries to ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I'm in a long-term relationship with an incredible guy I'll call "Jerry." We both have grown children, his parents and family are amazing, and we all get along wonderfully.

Jerry works hard as a health-care professional. I work as well, but he supports us financially, for which I am grateful. He has an autoimmune disorder and, ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: My husband and I had two sons, "Seth" and "Jason," who were best buddies. Seth passed away a year and a half ago, which has been really hard on us all, but especially on Jason. He's now 17 and in high school. He's doing OK, but he is still sort of listless and keeps to himself a lot.

My sister's son, "Matt," was the same age as Seth....Read more

DEAR ABBY: My sister-in-law is her alcoholic husband's enabler. He has health conditions that make walking difficult. He falls down often and can't make it to the bathroom. Being drunk all the time (he consumes a fifth of vodka every two days) also prevents him from getting the surgery he needs.

My SIL buys his liquor for him. She says if she ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I am 65, single and retired with an almost-40-year-old bipolar child. Although she's compliant with her meds, she also self-medicates and sometimes must be hospitalized due to her mania. She doesn't work and refuses to apply for any aid. I have stopped paying for her needs other than food, shelter and helping financially with her dog....Read more

DEAR ABBY: I recently spent weeks caring for my mom in hospice. I was holding her hand when she took her last breath. I had announced to family and friends her choice to enter hospice. They knew her death was imminent. Being the last surviving child, it was up to me to arrange her funeral. Everyone, including my friends, asked me to keep them ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I am a 67-year-old man who has two sisters. Recently, I was at my younger sister "Mitzi's" house, installing some blinds. While there, I received a phone call from my girlfriend. (We have been together nine months, after my wife passed last year.) My girlfriend and I were discussing finances, including the topic of my older sister, "...Read more

DEAR ABBY: Four months ago, my 15-year-old oldest child was killed in a car accident. It has been really hard. My husband and I are doing our best to take care of our younger children and put our lives back together.

One thing I don't know what to do about is all the mail I have received from my estranged relatives. None of them came for the ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I am a 54-year-old mother of two, a wife and a full-time teacher. My days are long, busy and usually uneventful. Every evening, I am expected to call my 84-year-old mother, who lives a few states away. I oblige, of course, listening patiently to all of her stories, ranting and gossip.

If, for any reason, I happen to fall asleep or ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: My parents divorced when I was in high school, and Dad kept the house I grew up in. I'm in college across town and have my own place, but I still visited Dad often. As a teenager, it used to be my job to cook the family dinner two nights a week. I loved it and continued to cook when I was visiting.

Dad now has a serious girlfriend ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: My husband is going to be 70 next month. He is in good physical shape but has taken up smoking marijuana every day. He says he is addicted. I have told him how much I hate that he uses dope. He quits for a while and then goes back to it.

We have been married almost 50 years. I would be disappointed filing for divorce, but I am ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I was diagnosed with colon cancer five years ago. After two surgeries and three hospital stays, I recovered. The experience made me realize at 62 that it was time to downsize. I moved my husband and myself into a smaller, one-story home in a lovely retirement community.

I have now been diagnosed with incurable metastatic cancer. I'm ...Read more