ArcaMax

Dear Eric: I have two daughters that are estranged. I do not want to get in the middle of it, but it is getting ridiculous.

Daughter #1 did not want daughter #2 to marry her choice in husbands but she did anyway.

Now, a few years have passed and the situation is worse. Daughter #1 will not communicate with #2 and won't even acknowledge her new...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: Whenever I share a conflict, dilemma or even something IÕm skilled at with a particular friend of mine, IÕve noticed that she responds by overexplaining it back to me -- often as if I donÕt fully understand my own situation or abilities. For example, if I talk through a personal issue, sheÕll reframe it in basic terms, offer ...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I'm fortunate to have had a dear friend ever since kindergarten. We were close all through school, and when I moved a few hours away for college and work, I would see her when I came into town to visit family. We stayed in touch and saw each other at least a few times a year. I was a bridesmaid in her wedding, and we have ...Read more

Dear Annie: I am 52 and I have a good life on paper. I am married, I work full-time, and I have two teenagers who keep me busy. But lately I have felt oddly lonely, and I am not sure if I am being overly sensitive or finally noticing something I have ignored for years.

I have a close group of friends from our kids' elementary school days. We ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I am 57 and have never been married. I have had many relationships (some good, some bad). Although in the past I experienced heartbreaks, I am now open to meeting someone new.

I recently ended a relationship with "Bill," a man I met at a resort casino three years ago. I was happy in the beginning, until things started to take a turn....Read more

Dear Eric: My spouse and I are senior citizens, and we occasionally have small gatherings, or what I intended to be small gatherings. The last couple gatherings have turned into large gatherings due to other people being brought by the invited guests.

I know the uninvited people but as an acquaintance.

Neighbors that live on our block see the ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: My friend and I have been talking for a month now about booking a summer vacation together to Greece. I recently brought it up again, and she said that she canÕt go anymore because she booked a different vacation with a different friend. She didnÕt mention it beforehand or talk to me about possibly changing plans. She just said...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: My husband and I are in our 80s now, but we have been married only 20 years. This is a second marriage for each of us.

People are frequently asking us how long we have been married. I feel sure that they want to hear a good story about the cute couple being together for 60 years. After hearing our answer of 20 years, more ...Read more

Dear Annie: My husband and I have been together for more than 30 years. In the beginning, we were the couple who couldn't keep our hands off each other. We smiled easily, held hands without thinking, and felt lucky just to be in the same room after a long day.

Somewhere between raising three kids, becoming grandparents, and moving into our ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: My husband and I (both male) have been together for 28 years. The last few years have been less than romantic, but we remain close and in love (or so I thought).

A few days ago, he called me from work (I'm retired) crying so hard I could hardly understand him. I rushed to his office, and he told me he had just learned from his doctor...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I am a Caribbean American; both of my parents have backgrounds in the West Indies. Although my mother was born in America, her Caribbean culture was influential to my upbringing and formative years. My father was born and raised in the Caribbean. I frequently spent extended periods of time on his home island. Although I was ...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I realize it's an unpleasant world with unpleasant people who are going to say unpleasant things. But sometimes, you have to get down on their level in order for them to get the message.

For instance, in cases where a stranger calls someone fat, that person could give an equally rude response, such as: "Yeah? Well, you're ...Read more

Dear Readers: Presidents Day isn't the flashiest holiday. There are no fireworks, no heart-shaped chocolates, no songs you can't escape in the grocery store. It tends to arrive with a shrug, a long weekend and a mysterious sale on mattresses.

But I've always liked it for what it can quietly be: a reminder to think about character.

Not the ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I work in a place where being friendly to customers is part of my job requirement, but I feel like many guys interpret this the wrong way. It seems I am a "jerk attractor," and I don't know how to make it stop. The worst of these jerks can't take a hint that I'm not interested. One of them is a co-worker who sexually harasses me all ...Read more

It was the twirling end of the mustache I noticed first, before I realized he looked familiar. This was not unexpected, as I had been sitting in the Utilities boardroom for a few years, even before I was elected. When I interviewed him for a story about his time at Utilities, he was still new to his role; now he's the second-in-command at the ...Read more