ArcaMax

DEAR ABBY: I am 54 and already facing ageism. Some of my neighbors who are in their 30s and 40s make ageist statements aimed at me. These people do not know me but happen to live in my building. One time, I was wearing a brand-new purple winter coat I loved. It was a gift from a close friend. A woman complimented me on my coat, followed by, "I ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I am a man who was widowed 11 months ago. I met a woman on a dating site, and we clicked immediately. We have been enjoying each other's company for several months. We have a long-distance relationship. She lives three hours away. Although she indicated on the dating site her status as "separated for two years," she still lives in the...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I've been married for 49 years. Of course, we've had our ups and downs. My husband, "Sid," said he was joking at the store the other day. When I talk, I gesture with my hands. A woman was coming down the aisle while I was talking, and Sid warned her, "Watch out! She's mean! She's violent!"

At another store, he told the cashier, "...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I'm in an eight-month relationship with a man who is a sexy good dancer. (I'm also a good dancer.) My dilemma is, he attracts a lot of female attention on the dance floor, and sometimes women aggressively come up and dance next to us, vying for his attention (which we usually ignore). Most of the time, I pay them no attention, but it ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I have a persecution complex. I know where it comes from. My mother repeatedly told me how ugly I was as a child. Recently, I was going through some rough times. My sister, who I was in charge of, had a massive stroke and subsequently died. I'd had to take care of her, and I resented it. When she had the stroke, I began reminiscing, ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: My father, who is retired, has always had a big heart and almost no regard for himself. Anytime he meets someone in a tough situation, he does whatever he can to make it easier, giving freely of his time and resources without asking for repayment. This was a big problem when my parents were married because he kept giving away the ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I was with the same man for 36 years, but I divorced him three years ago because of his gambling problems. We came to this country 27 years ago, and ever since then I have been working and providing for us. He never paid any bills. He was very controlling and pretty much did whatever he pleased. I guess I was so busy trying to make a ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I am a gay man who has been with my husband for more than 30 years. He's from a different culture, as are our now-grown adopted children. Most of my family members are religiously and politically conservative. They have known I was gay since I was in my 20s and almost always accepted us, but they are often critical of differences in ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I was shopping recently and encountered a mother who had her two young children in her cart. One of them was making a loud noise. The mother slapped her hard across the face, yelling, "You're not getting what you want, so BE QUIET!" I felt I should say something, but I didn't want the situation to escalate. What would an appropriate ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: My father was a terrible person. He was physically abusive to his wife and kids, and he sexually abused both of my sisters. He was a vicious bully who took every opportunity to humiliate his children and took pleasure in destroying things we worked hard for. No one in the family is sad that he's no longer with us; most of us are happy...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I met "Donny" 18 months ago. For a while, we were both happy. Then suddenly, every Friday, Donny would make some excuse, smoke a cigarette and go to the bar across the street. Afterward, he would show up here drunk, and we would argue. When Donny was sober, he was a great guy, but every weekend he disappeared. Although I tried every ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I lost my husband two months ago after a long, debilitating illness. I loved him very much, and the loss was very difficult, although not unexpected.

After his funeral, an old friend called me offering condolences. He had lost his wife last year after a long illness, and he understood what I had been through. We both had lost spouses...Read more

DEAR ABBY: My husband, "Andy," and I have been together 25 years, married for 16. We have three kids ages 14, 11 and 9. Our marriage has always been a happy one. Andy began a government job five years ago, and after two years, he was traveling a lot.

Once he started traveling so often, I had a hard time adjusting to being everything for my kids...Read more

DEAR ABBY: My son has trouble telling the truth. He was getting up late, dressing for work, leaving and coming back early. When my husband and I asked him about having a job, he said he had one. When we asked him to show us his paycheck, he fumbled around on his phone, then he confessed that he had no job. He said he has been at the library ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: My mom is in her early 80s. More and more often lately, she seems to be avoiding seeing me and my siblings. It wasn't always like this. She would let me, my husband and our kids stay with her when we visited. Even last year, when she fell and injured herself, she let me stay with her for a couple of days to help out.

My siblings have...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I am frustrated with my husband. We have been together 18 years. When it gets close to my menstrual cycle, he gets into an angry panic for us to be intimate because he travels for work and is home only four nights a week. If we're not able to, he pouts, then becomes angry and distant, and peppers me for updates to determine how soon ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I'm a man in my early 30s who has made a career switch. My new field requires me to be more social because I will be meeting with colleagues, some of them older than I am, and attending trade shows, meetings, and business and social networking outings. This was never part of my former job.

I'm somewhat shy, and I can be uneasy in ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: Our neighbors, "Wanda" and "Bob," have agreed to care for our house and cat when we vacation. We told them we'd like to pay them for their troubles, but Wanda says they want to do it for free. Bob just smiles.

Judging by her body language, Wanda seemed offended when I asked her how much she'd like to be paid. You see, I'm sure we can...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I'm a member of Alcoholics Anonymous. A fellow AA member suffered critical injuries in a motorcycle accident recently and had been in the ICU for several weeks. I visited the hospital regularly, bringing cookies and offering support to his girlfriend, who is also in the program.

During my last visit, I unknowingly arrived at the ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I've been married for 19 years to my second husband, "Jack." Our children are grown. When we met, I was a business owner, and he was retired. He has had numerous medical issues and procedures, and I have always insured him on my health plans and been his advocate. We have always had separate bank accounts and a household account we ...Read more