ArcaMax

Dear Annie: From the time I was in second grade, I knew I wanted to be a writer. But everyone around me insisted it was a terrible idea. So, I chose the "safe" path and became a teacher, spending two years in a high school English classroom before transitioning to a role as a school librarian.

I also married a man I believed was the love of ...Read more

Dear Annie: I went on a 10-day girls trip with five other women, including my best friend. By the third day, I realized I was being singled out for having different opinions and struggling to keep up physically. I have lung disease, but these women (all older with their own limitations) dismissed it as something an inhaler could fix.

We had ...Read more

Dear Annie: My husband pouts and refuses to come with me when I visit our kids and grandkids, choosing instead to stay home watching TV and playing on his computer. I used to make excuses for him -- saying he was busy or doing chores -- but now I just tell the truth: "Grandpa's crabby and staying home."

His father used to fake stomachaches ...Read more

It feels like there are people in America who wake up every morning, stretch like a cartoon villain, and immediately start working to make things worse. They clog up school board meetings, launch unhinged Facebook rants, and propose legislation that makes you check if it's satire. And you know what? They do it with confidence that would be ...Read more

Dear Annie: My cousin, who is more like a sister to me, has been making a series of reckless and concerning choices over the past year. After having her second baby, she left her husband and began dating a string of borderline-abusive men. Now she's signing over full custody of her children to her ex-husband and impulsively buying a house out ...Read more

Dear Annie: For 32 years, I've been married to a wonderful partner who comes from a loving family. There was a crisis a year ago when my spouse was on business, and while they were working to get back home, our families stepped up to support us. A relative of my partner's showed particular concern, which surprised me. I care about this ...Read more

Dear Annie: I was out having lunch with a friend I've known for many years. We met when our children were babies; they are grown adults now.

We have only been meeting up once a week for lunch since April 2024, as we both have more time now that I have retired and she works part time.

The thing is, I'm feeling quite overwhelmed at the moment....Read more

Dear Annie: How do I get across to a sibling that she can't order me to come and be a caretaker for our ailing mother? Mom is almost 92 and is recovering from a stroke. It has affected her vision, so there are many daily things she cannot do for herself. She no longer drives; her poor motor skills don't allow her to cook or handle hot items on...Read more

The days are gone when women made financial clout the top requisite for serious interest in a man. No longer economically second-class (if not financially whole, or at least with more earning potential -- and hope -- than before), women are asking something different from men. They are beginning to insist that their love object actively nurture ...Read more

Dear Annie: I never thought I had a screen time problem until my daughter called me out. The other night, we were sitting on the couch together, and she was excitedly telling me about her day. Without thinking, I picked up my phone to check a notification. She stopped mid-sentence and sighed, "Never mind, you're not even listening." That hit ...Read more