Life Advice
/Health
/ArcaMax
Napkin Rings: Not For Guests
DEAR MISS MANNERS: I am planning to invite my daughter's in-laws to a formal dinner. I plan to host it the way my late almost-aristocratic mother would have done 60 years ago: with fine china, starched linens, good silver, flowers, the lot. I am partly (well, mainly) motivated by a few snobbish remarks dropped by my daughter's father-in-law.
...Read more
Funerals and Feeling Forgotten
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
Daughter's Dependence Finally Reaches Breaking Point
DEAR ABBY: I am 65, single and retired with an almost-40-year-old bipolar child. Although she's compliant with her meds, she also self-medicates and sometimes must be hospitalized due to her mania. She doesn't work and refuses to apply for any aid. I have stopped paying for her needs other than food, shelter and helping financially with her dog....Read more

Asking Eric: Nephew’s ‘save the date’ came after vacation was paid for
Dear Eric: Several months ago, a group of friends and I planned a vacation trip for this coming fall. We pre-paid the hotel costs, all-inclusive fees and paid for round-trip airline tickets. A few weeks ago, I received a "save the date" postcard from my nephew and his fiancée.
The wedding will be held in a state fairly distant from where I ...Read more
Friend's Relationship With Uncle Concerns Family Member
DEAR HARRIETTE: My aunt is hosting an old friend of hers, "Fran," who moved here for more work opportunities. Fran arrived nearly two years ago as travel nursing became increasingly popular and lucrative in the post-pandemic era. Originally, Fran moved in because she was trying to save money; since my aunt and her husband live by themselves and ...Read more
What Can I Even Talk About These Days?
DEAR MISS MANNERS: I understand that we shouldn't talk about religion, nor about politics.
Now it's food that's verboten.
Sports? Please, no!
Travel plans or trip reports? Yawn.
Health concerns? Yech.
Bragging/complaining about children/other relatives/neighbors/jobs? Snore.
Favorite movies/TV shows/news sources?
Hobbies?
New cars or ...Read more
Guilt, Grief and Grown Children
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
Surviving Family Member Comes To Bitter Realization
DEAR ABBY: I recently spent weeks caring for my mom in hospice. I was holding her hand when she took her last breath. I had announced to family and friends her choice to enter hospice. They knew her death was imminent. Being the last surviving child, it was up to me to arrange her funeral. Everyone, including my friends, asked me to keep them ...Read more
Millennial Life: When Quiet Isn't Enough
I used to believe in quiet resistance. You choose the right moments to slip wrenches into the gears without drawing the guard's attention. Movies love a covert operator like the whistleblower or the silent saboteur who knows that noise gets you caught. But we're not in the movies.
Lately, the vibes, as the kids would say, feel different. There'...Read more

Asking Eric: Yoga teacher picks on longtime student
Dear Eric: I've been taking yoga classes for at least eight years from a woman who teaches a small group in her yard. I'm friendly with most of the students in the class, but the instructor apparently doesn't like "the cut of my jib."
Example: She singled me out in class one time, saying I looked like "someone's mom in the '70s doing yoga." For...Read more
When Vacation Feels Like Work
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
Brother's Many Good Deeds Get Punished By His Sisters
DEAR ABBY: I am a 67-year-old man who has two sisters. Recently, I was at my younger sister "Mitzi's" house, installing some blinds. While there, I received a phone call from my girlfriend. (We have been together nine months, after my wife passed last year.) My girlfriend and I were discussing finances, including the topic of my older sister, "...Read more

Asking Eric: Husband’s emotional affair upends relationship
Dear Eric: Several months ago, I discovered my husband was having an emotional affair with a coworker. He shared significant things with her he didn’t share with me, sought her advice on how to hide his alcohol abuse from me and talked to her about our arguments, while she fueled the negativity against me and trashed me. He also discussed ...Read more
A Doctor in Training With a Family in Crisis
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

Asking Eric: Wife continually interrupts husband
Dear Eric: I have been married to a wonderful woman for many years. She is educated and has many years of practical experience. But if there is anything that makes me “bite the bullet” it’s her interruptions mid-delivery from me. I have dared to call her out for interrupting me and she will say I'm taking too long to make a point, even in ...Read more
When Being The "Go-to" Friend Becomes Too Much
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

Ask Anna: My partner won't step up--am I helping or enabling?
Dear Anna,
I’ve been with my boyfriend for three years, and I love him—he’s funny, supportive and kind. Right now, we’re living at my sister’s place while saving for our own apartment. He’s 29 and I’m 27. I work full-time as a freelance writer and make a comfortable living, but his part-time retail job barely covers his own ...Read more

Asking Eric: Stepson has plans for widowed stepmother’s next chapter
Dear Eric: My husband passed away 12 days ago after an extended illness. I have two step-kids.
Two days after my husband died, one of the kids started asking for some of my husband’s belongings then unveiled his plan to “help me build a house” on some vacant land I own to “fulfill my husband's dream.” I was taken aback. I told him I ...Read more
When Your Child Shuts You Out
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
Single File: Healthy Brainwashing for You (Part 1)
Trust me. What I'm about to suggest is beneficial. Yes, it may fall into the category of auto-suggestion, but it's the healthy kind. So healthy, indeed, it may very well make you stronger and abler to bring your life in line with your deepest wishes. And isn't that what we all want? Now that we're agreed on that, let's move on to the good stuff....Read more
Inside Life Advice
Popular Stories
- Ask Anna: How to handle conflict when your partner only wants to text
- Ask Anna: What to do when you've been dating for months but aren't 'official'
- Ask Dating Coach Erika: 'When is the best time for the 'what are we?' question?'
- Ask Dating Coach Erika: When is it time to take a dating break?
- Ask Dating Coach Erika: How do I make sure I'm mastering first dates?