ArcaMax

Dear Annie: I am the friend everyone calls when they need something.

I am the one who remembers birthdays, checks in after surgeries, brings soup when someone is sick and sends the "just thinking of you" text. If a friend is going through a divorce, I am there. If someone's child is struggling, I listen for hours. If there is a crisis, I show...Read more

DEAR ABBY: My boyfriend, "Wade," and I were expecting our first child and couldn't wait to tell the news to our family and friends. But my boyfriend can't keep a secret, and before we told our parents, he told his best friend and his wife. Wade told them to not tell anyone since we still hadn't reached the 12-week mark.

A month later, I found ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I am a resident assistant in my last year of college. During my time in my university's residential life department, I have seen many changes that have negatively impacted their residential staff and made it harder for us to form genuine connections with our residents. Our opinions are often overlooked as inexperienced even ...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: We live in an era where the social fabric has thinned significantly. The clubs, civic organizations and community events that once brought our forefathers together are largely fading away. Opportunities for natural socialization have plummeted across the country, leaving many of us more isolated than generations past.

In this...Read more

Dear Annie: I never imagined that after raising three children, loving them through every stage and being a hands-on mother, I would end up feeling like a stranger to my own grandchildren.

My son married a woman who, at first, seemed organized and devoted. Over time, though, it has become clear that she likes to control every family ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I have an acquaintance, "Tina," who I believe is fraudulently using her GoFundMe fundraising webpage. A close friend of hers set it up a few years ago to assist with medical bills related to a rare form of cancer that will never fully go away. When the page began, Tina was soliciting donations on Facebook and sending text messages to ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: My son just bought a motorcycle. I don't know if this is some version of a midlife crisis, but I need help stopping him! He is nearly 40 and a single dad. He is the only parent his daughter has, and I don't want her to lose him because he's finally found his wild side. I was a nurse for over 25 years, and during that time, I have...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: My local grocery store was very busy and the checkout lines were long. I paid little attention to the lady without a cart in front of me as she spoke to someone on her phone, assuming that she was with the person in front of her.

About 10 minutes later, just before it was my turn to place my items on the belt, another lady ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I moved across the country nine years ago to be closer to my parents as they age. They are now in their early to mid-80s. My mother has recently had a few falls. One was bad enough that she had to be taken by ambulance to the ER because she was not able to stand. (I suspect some of her falling is due to having a drink or two at a ...Read more

Something I have lamented as a parent is that the cultural touchstones of episodic television were not something my kids would experience. Streaming changed the rhythm of watching TV, especially when shows arrive all at once and people watch them at different speeds. The sense that millions of people might be sitting down at the same time to ...Read more

Dear Annie: Five years ago, I lost my father to heart problems. Three months ago, I lost my mother after a terrible fall. I am 66, and I was her caregiver. I took early retirement at 62 so I could be there for her, and I do not regret it. But now that she is gone, I feel like the role I built my life around disappeared overnight, and I am not ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: Eighteen months ago, I was staying with my son and his family when they had a get-together with his wife, "Corrine's," father. His wife, Corrine's stepmother, had just finished chemo for several different types of cancer. When Corrine's dad went to leave, I offered to put together a small plate for his wife, hoping it would make her ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: My best friend got married last year in Peru. She and her husband invited family only, wanting to keep the wedding small due to budget. When she told me I wasn't invited, I tried to be supportive. I sent a gift, congratulated her and told myself not to take it personally. My fiance and I are getting married this year, and we have...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I am the legal guardian of a relative who was born with a severe disability. Now middle-aged, she still has the mentality of a toddler. For reasons that are not relevant here, I promised her (and myself) when we were children that I would take care of her.

The problem? People, who probably think they're well-meaning, keep ...Read more

Dear Annie: I've been married nearly 40 years. My wife's father has passed, and her 81-year-old mother still lives on the family farm. My wife is on a loan her mother took out to buy part of that farm, and she handles everything for my mother-in-law. One of her brothers lives in the farmhouse and is a slob. He won't take off work to take their...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I work in an office with a man who has expressed an interest in me in various subtle (and not-so-subtle) ways, including winks. I have also caught him staring at me with intense longing. We communicate well, and he has told me I have influenced him. We are both disciplined, determined and accomplished men. I envy him for his easy ...Read more