ArcaMax

Dear Annie: My brother regularly calls to blame me for my strained relationship with our sister, without knowing my side of the story. For my own peace of mind, I keep my distance from her, though I still send her Christmas gifts, birthday cards and other greetings -- which she ignores and never reciprocates.

My sister is a school counselor, ...Read more

Dear Annie: I have a crush on my 18-year-old co-worker, and I'm certain she has a crush on me, too -- even though I'm 42 and she doesn't know my age yet. The age gap is too big, which makes me afraid to ask her out because I don't want to ruin my friendship with her.

The last time I had a relationship with an age gap this big was with a 19-...Read more

Dear Annie: My best friend's ex-wife and I have found each other after decades and fallen in love. The whole situation is really complicated. She left their marriage over 30 years ago and recently divorced another man -- the one she left my friend for. She left my friend bitter and broken and he's never really forgiven her. I can't blame him. ...Read more

Dear Annie: I'm a 47-year-old woman, and I've been with my boyfriend, "Greg," for almost six years. I'm really happy with him, and I am at the point where I really can't imagine being with anyone else. There's just one thing: He has not proposed, and I don't know if he ever will.

It's gotten to the point where I feel almost desperate for him ...Read more

Dear Annie: As a wife, mother of three and a full-time program manager overseeing a crisis unit, I juggle a lot of responsibilities. Despite my busy schedule, I find myself having to be the one to initiate contact with my husband's side of the family. If I didn't, we would likely never see them. Maintaining family connections is important to ...Read more

Dear Annie: I'd love your perspective on an issue I'm having with my adult daughter, who lives in another state. She visits every Christmas for several days but refuses to stay overnight at my home. She claims my guest room is too cluttered and noisy, or she offers other excuses for not staying. Instead, she rents an Airbnb for part of her ...Read more

Dear Annie: I have complex feelings about my family, which may come across as harsh, but I feel it's important to explain. They exhibit behaviors that I find troubling, such as a tendency to rely on the more successful members of the family for support without taking accountability for their own circumstances. In their view, refusing to help ...Read more

Dear Annie: I was married to my spouse for 34 years, and throughout our marriage, he was abusive. I separated from him two and a half years ago, and we are now divorced. Six months after the separation, he called to apologize for not being a good husband. I asked if he wanted to reconcile, but he had already started seeing someone else just ...Read more

Dear Annie: I met this guy who seems to be my soulmate. He lives in America, and I'm in South Africa. However, he refuses to meet me and says it's because he is a celebrity.

He is manipulative and constantly makes me cry. He wants me to send him money before we meet, but because I can't -- I just don't have the funds he's asked for -- he has ...Read more

Dear Annie: I'm a high school senior worried about my future. I still haven't found a major I really want to do, and I'm running out of time. Animation/art is my passion, but I don't want to get my degree in it. I haven't found anything else I'm interested in pursuing. I want to make money without selling my soul to do something I'd hate. How ...Read more

Dear Annie: I lost my husband 10 years ago. He was a great man, and we had a good marriage for over 30 years. It took me a while (seven years) to date, and when I did, I met a guy who was seven years older than me and twice divorced, but I was very attracted to him, and he was to me. We spent six months together, and then I left for the winter...Read more

Dear Reader: Many of you wrote in regarding the newly widowed woman who stopped receiving invitations to couples' gatherings. A great number of you shared similar experiences. Below are a few letters that reflect this.

Dear Widowing: The invisibility you feel often grows in proportion to how insecure other women are. If they perceive you as ...Read more

Dear Annie: Several years ago, my wife suffered a stroke. As part of her recovery, her doctor recommended a video game to help improve her hand-eye coordination. At first, it seemed like a great idea; it gave her a sense of accomplishment and helped in her healing. But over time, this once-helpful activity has grown into a serious phone ...Read more

Dear Readers: Wishing you a Happy Veterans Day. Please find below some enjoyable quotes to celebrate these heroes.

"Freedom makes a huge requirement of every human being. With freedom comes responsibility." -- Eleanor Roosevelt

"Freedom is never free." -- Unknown

"Freedom is nothing but a chance to be better." -- Albert Camus

"May we think...Read more

Dear Annie: I loved reading the different responses from both grandmothers in the "Daughter-in-Law's Dilemma." I'm fortunate to be the daughter-in-law of the most amazing people. My husband is the youngest of seven children, all of whom have two or three kids of their own. We have two boys, ages 19 and 20, and agree that boys often gravitate ...Read more

Dear Annie: I find myself questioning everything. I grew up in a very dysfunctional home. I have known this since I was 13, living on the streets and trying to figure out life.

As an adult, my goal has been to not push my childhood trauma onto my relationships. I have been married to my amazing husband for almost 20 years. Together we share ...Read more

Dear Annie: I am a nurse who needed to become a full-time caregiver for my mom, who is in her 90s. I have siblings; however, when I ask for their help, there is always an excuse. I haven't had a vacation in several years.

A friend of mine who is also a nurse offered to take care of my mom so I could have a long weekend off. I was so grateful ...Read more

Dear Annie: It's been a long journey for my wife and I. I left grad school and we got married in 2008, just as the economy collapsed. It took us a while to get our careers going. After 10 years of struggle, we moved to a new state for new jobs, and right before the pandemic, my wife started working on her teaching degree. During all of this, ...Read more

Dear Annie: I've made the decision to distance myself from my sister, who exhibits narcissistic, dramatic, needy and demanding behavior.

For years, I offered her help, advice and support, only to have the relationship follow a repetitive and unhealthy cycle. I would set boundaries and shut her out after being hurt but eventually let her back ...Read more

Dear Annie: We used to have an excellent relationship with our son, and he has a daughter who is now 19 years old. Seven years ago, he met a divorced woman whom we initially liked, but over time, things changed drastically. Since this new relationship began, our son's bond with his daughter has deteriorated to the point where they hardly see ...Read more