ArcaMax

Dear Annie: My best friend recently started dating someone new, and ever since, she's become distant. We used to talk daily; now I'm lucky if she texts back within a week. When we do hang out, he always tags along, even for things we used to do just the two of us.

I'm happy she's found someone she likes, but I miss our friendship. I tried ...Read more

Dear Annie: My fiance, "Mark," and I have been together for four years and are set to get married next spring. We live together in a small house we bought last fall. For the most part, things are good. But lately, something's been bothering me.

Mark has a weekly "guys' night" every Thursday with his two best friends from college. It used to ...Read more

Dear Annie: My father has always been a deeply anxious man. If there is nothing to worry about, he invents something. Growing up, this often meant high-stress evenings when my siblings or I were out with friends or running late. I still remember one night when my dad woke my mother in a panic, convinced my brother had been in an accident. She ...Read more

Dear Annie: I've always prided myself on being a good friend. I'm the one who shows up at weddings, baby showers, birthday parties and even moving day. I donate to friends' fundraisers, send thoughtful messages, and make the effort to call, check in and extend invitations. In short, I've always been there when it mattered.

But three months ...Read more

Dear Annie: Last October, my son and I bought a home with a pool. My fiance's son, who had not visited his father in years, offered to drive the moving truck. My fiance could not lift much due to a shoulder injury, but his son helped unload a few items. After the move, they visited once, and I welcomed them with food and hospitality. That was ...Read more

Dear Annie: Every summer, I plan a trip. I picture my family on a peaceful beach, laughing together, toes in the sand, drinks in hand. But the reality? Total chaos.

I'm the one who books the flights, finds the rental, makes sure everyone has sunscreen, passports, snacks, chargers and swimsuits -- and still gets blamed when something goes ...Read more

Dear Annie: My daughter "Theresa," now 46, always wanted to be a doctor. I divorced her father when she was 4 and her sister was 2-and-a-half. When it came time for college, her father refused to help, and I couldn't afford to pay for it as a single mom.

Determined, Theresa joined the Army and used the GI Bill to earn two undergraduate ...Read more

Dear Annie: I'm a 36-year-old woman who's always been the "go-to" friend for emotional support. I don't mind being there for people -- I genuinely care -- but lately it's starting to wear me down.

My closest friend, "Julia," has been going through a tough time with her marriage for the past year. I've spent countless hours on the phone with ...Read more

Dear Annie: I'm a 48-year-old gainfully employed man living in Denver with my wife of many years. Our marriage, while respectful and supportive, has evolved into more of a platonic partnership over time. We are navigating a difficult season as parents.

My daughter, who just turned 18 and attends college, is spending her summer in Seattle. ...Read more

Dear Annie: Thank you for your strong and thoughtful letter about keeping relationship details private.

I have noticed there seems to be a kind of unspoken "girl code" that makes some women feel it's perfectly acceptable to ask personal questions about someone's sex life -- as if those boundaries don't apply among friends. I have always found...Read more

Dear Annie: I am a 72-year-old widow, and most days, I feel like I'm simply fading into the background of life. I lost my husband in 2018, and in 2023, I lost my oldest son. The grief has taken a toll, and so has my health. I now wear a colostomy pouch, and because of that, I rarely leave the house. I have no transportation of my own and rely ...Read more

Dear Annie: I wanted to follow up on a letter you published on June 21, 2025, about my complicated relationship with my sister-in-law, who I started to develop romantic feelings for after the death of my wife (her sister).

Since your response, I had a long and emotional conversation with her. Things had been awkward between us ever since we ...Read more

Dear Annie: I recently moved into a small building with only eight apartments. Just three days after moving in, I was in a serious car accident that left me hospitalized for two weeks. I'm now back home recovering and on medical leave from work.

Unfortunately, instead of a quiet, supportive environment, I've been met with hostility. If I make...Read more

Dear Annie: I have a new neighbor who recently moved in. She orders a lot of things online, which I have no problem with. However, there've been times she's had her packages shipped to my house or to other neighbors' homes. Why she does this, I don't know.

At first, I had no problem with it and would just walk her packages across the street ...Read more

Dear Annie: My husband and I have been married nearly 15 years and have three young children. Until about five years ago, I would have described our marriage as good. Then he suffered an injury that left him with chronic pain and depression and caused him to emotionally withdraw from me -- while I carried the extra household, yard and child ...Read more

Dear Annie: I never thought that I would be writing a complaint to one of these columns, but here it goes. I married my husband 12 years ago, and I was excited because that meant (well, I thought) that I would be getting seven sisters. My husband is the only boy among seven girls.

Well, his youngest sister has an attitude as thick as molasses...Read more

Dear Annie: I'm a mother of four, and a few years ago, during a difficult time, my former in-laws generously fostered my two youngest children, now 13 and 9. They've remained involved and caring, and I'm truly grateful.

The problem is my 13-year-old son often feels left out. He has ADHD and ODD, and while he can be challenging, he's also ...Read more

Dear Annie: I am a 43-year-old woman with a 6-year-old daughter. Her father is 50. We were never in a serious relationship, just friends with benefits, until I became pregnant. At first, he wanted nothing to do with the baby and even pushed for an abortion. I chose to continue the pregnancy, and eventually he came around and was there during ...Read more

Dear Annie: When my daughter was little, I met with a potential employer who asked about my family. I told him I had a 2-year-old, and he said something I've never forgotten: His daughters were grown, and his greatest joy was talking with them as adults and realizing he had raised two amazing women. Now, at 75, I understand exactly what he ...Read more

Dear Annie: When my husband and I retired, I imagined we'd spend more time together -- relaxing, traveling, maybe picking up some hobbies. But to my surprise, he dove headfirst into a new phase of life, setting up a home office to work on electronic projects he never had time for during his career.

The problem was, I kept interrupting him ...Read more