ArcaMax

Dear Annie: I have recently gone through a friend breakup with a friend we will call "Elizabeth." When I first met Elizabeth, she was pregnant with her first child. After about a year, we became very close friends, and she had a second child. After the second child was born, I offered to go to Elizabeth's house once a week to play with the ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: Last year, my son, his girlfriend and two others were murdered outside a city where "things like this don't happen." My other two boys received a call to come immediately to their dad's home, where it had happened. My boys were the first to witness the bloody scene. They called 911. My son lived two days more. Today would have been ...Read more

Sexual expression is part of mental and physical well-being. On that, we agree. And as a single person, you also know how important it is to feel caring and commitment from a partner. The truth is that sexual union has the potential to be spiritual communion. Only when it joins soul mates can it express that high level of togetherness. It is ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I always feel pressure to be the "strong one" in my friend group. I'm the one everyone turns to when they're falling apart; I'm a level-headed, reliable friend who gives advice, calms tensions and somehow always knows what to say. I genuinely care about my friends and want to be there for them, but lately, I've been feeling ...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I am a teetotaler. My husband and most of our friends are avid connoisseurs of wine and spirits. Normally, this is not a problem, as I can politely excuse myself from any events that are primarily about appreciating alcohol.

But an etiquette issue sometimes arises when we're hosting dinner at our place. The first couple of ...Read more

Dear Annie: My sister and I were inseparable growing up. We talked every day, shared everything and supported each other through some tough times, including the death of our dad five years ago. But ever since she started dating her current boyfriend about a year ago, things have changed in a way I never expected.

At first, I tried to be ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: After years of disappointment, I finally found the man of my dreams. How do I tell him he isn't doing certain things right in the bedroom without it being uncomfortable? I have mentioned it before, but it didn't stick. This is the only problem with our relationship. I don't want to hurt his feelings or make either one of us ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: As we all know, there's a lot of controversy happening in the world lately, which often makes for heated discussions. The other day, a few neighbors and I were in the common room of our building, talking about some of the maintenance issues we've experienced in the building. Out of nowhere, one guy began sharing his thoughts on ...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: A very long time ago, my husband and I were invited to dinner at a restaurant by a colleague of his. I had not met the colleague or his wife prior to the dinner.

The men promised they wouldn't talk shop, but they did -- throughout the entire meal. There was no inclusion of us women. I tried to initiate a conversation with the...Read more

Dear Annie: Lately, I've been finding myself feeling unexpectedly down. My three kids are all growing up so fast -- one just graduated college, one is starting a new job out of state and my youngest just got their driver's license. I'm proud of them, of course. They're kind, capable and finding their own way in the world. But I feel like I ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: My husband and I have been happily married for 12 years. We have a beautiful family -- a 12-year-old daughter and a 10-year-old son. My husband is not close with his side of the family. We are very close to mine. My husband has a brother my kids have never met. He has two great-nieces and one great- nephew whom none of us have met. He...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: If I'm being entirely honest, I am extremely jealous of my sister. She has always been smarter than me and prettier than me, and things just seem to come more easily for her. Growing up, teachers would always compare us, and even now as adults, I feel like people still put her on a pedestal. She has a great job and a loving ...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: One of the highlights of our trip to Paris was an opera performance at the Palais Garnier. The opera, "Medee" by Cherubini, is in excess of four hours, with two brief intermissions.

We were seated in the two front seats of a box in the first loge with three pairs of seats behind us. Without an aisle, the box occupants must ...Read more

Dear Annie: I've been married to a wonderful man for over 10 years, and during that time, I've grown to love his son as my own. My stepson, "Brian," is now 28 and has struggled with drug addiction for most of his adult life. We've helped him through multiple rehab programs, paid his rent when he's been evicted and even bailed him out of jail ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: The grocery store a mile from our house has recently gone through a major expansion and upgrade. I have shopped there my entire life. The store has two points of ingress and egress. I have always entered through the door most convenient for me. If what I need is on the east side of the store, I enter and exit via the closest door.

...Read more