ArcaMax

DEAR ABBY: I have a 54-year-old profoundly disabled, non-verbal child who is in a group home. I have been advocating for her since birth, when we learned she had suffered severe brain damage. The umbilical cord was wrapped around her neck for so long that the damage was irreparable. My first husband couldn't handle it and left us.

Luckily, a ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: My oldest son, "Adam," turned 50 last month. He and his wife, "Lindy," live four hours away. They invited me and my husband to a birthday party she was having for him. Adam's daughter from a previous marriage couldn't make it for whatever reason.

Lindy tends to drink too much. At one point, she went around screaming about how Adam's ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I'm getting married soon and I am very excited. It is a true blessing. I love my fiancee very much, and I'm happy to spend the rest of my life with her. I have one concern, though, and it is about her daughters. They are great girls. Both are teenagers. I have told them I will be whatever they want me to be, trying not to force any ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: My ex, "Hank," and I have two sons together. Both are smart, kind, college-educated, hardworking and independent young adults.

Hank is estranged from our younger son, "Andrew." Andrew could never live up to his father's expectations. This is one of the reasons I fell out of love with my husband. He would initiate a verbal ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I often see ads about stopping smoking. I'd like to share my story of success in overcoming this filthy habit in the hope that it may help someone else.

I smoked four packs of non-filtered cigarettes every day. At the age of 37, I knew I wanted to quit. I set a goal to stop one month away, and on that day, cold turkey went into ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: My brother has ALS and lives in another state. He has a wife and children. His wife has decided that when family visits from out of state, they need to stay in a hotel instead of their house because she does not have the capacity to host.

I understand that it is stressful to have houseguests while also being a caregiver for someone ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I think you once wrote that failure to thank people for gifts is the No. 1 complaint you receive. Well, I can see why!

My daughters, grandchildren, nieces and nephew not only fail to acknowledge gifts which involve thought, time and effort, but they also do not acknowledge receiving them when I send them by mail. My mother taught me ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: After my father died by suicide, my mother moved the family across the country. I was 13, and I never discussed my father's death with anyone.

Now, 50 years later, my best friend from high school has terminated our friendship because I don't support her politics. Her parting comment to me: "I was only nice to you because your mom ...Read more