ArcaMax

Dear Annie: Thank you for your strong and thoughtful letter about keeping relationship details private.

I have noticed there seems to be a kind of unspoken "girl code" that makes some women feel it's perfectly acceptable to ask personal questions about someone's sex life -- as if those boundaries don't apply among friends. I have always found...Read more

Dear Annie: I am a 72-year-old widow, and most days, I feel like I'm simply fading into the background of life. I lost my husband in 2018, and in 2023, I lost my oldest son. The grief has taken a toll, and so has my health. I now wear a colostomy pouch, and because of that, I rarely leave the house. I have no transportation of my own and rely ...Read more

Dear Annie: I wanted to follow up on a letter you published on June 21, 2025, about my complicated relationship with my sister-in-law, who I started to develop romantic feelings for after the death of my wife (her sister).

Since your response, I had a long and emotional conversation with her. Things had been awkward between us ever since we ...Read more

Dear Annie: I recently moved into a small building with only eight apartments. Just three days after moving in, I was in a serious car accident that left me hospitalized for two weeks. I'm now back home recovering and on medical leave from work.

Unfortunately, instead of a quiet, supportive environment, I've been met with hostility. If I make...Read more

Dear Annie: I have a new neighbor who recently moved in. She orders a lot of things online, which I have no problem with. However, there've been times she's had her packages shipped to my house or to other neighbors' homes. Why she does this, I don't know.

At first, I had no problem with it and would just walk her packages across the street ...Read more

Dear Annie: My husband and I have been married nearly 15 years and have three young children. Until about five years ago, I would have described our marriage as good. Then he suffered an injury that left him with chronic pain and depression and caused him to emotionally withdraw from me -- while I carried the extra household, yard and child ...Read more

Dear Annie: I never thought that I would be writing a complaint to one of these columns, but here it goes. I married my husband 12 years ago, and I was excited because that meant (well, I thought) that I would be getting seven sisters. My husband is the only boy among seven girls.

Well, his youngest sister has an attitude as thick as molasses...Read more

Dear Annie: I'm a mother of four, and a few years ago, during a difficult time, my former in-laws generously fostered my two youngest children, now 13 and 9. They've remained involved and caring, and I'm truly grateful.

The problem is my 13-year-old son often feels left out. He has ADHD and ODD, and while he can be challenging, he's also ...Read more

Dear Annie: I am a 43-year-old woman with a 6-year-old daughter. Her father is 50. We were never in a serious relationship, just friends with benefits, until I became pregnant. At first, he wanted nothing to do with the baby and even pushed for an abortion. I chose to continue the pregnancy, and eventually he came around and was there during ...Read more

Dear Annie: When my daughter was little, I met with a potential employer who asked about my family. I told him I had a 2-year-old, and he said something I've never forgotten: His daughters were grown, and his greatest joy was talking with them as adults and realizing he had raised two amazing women. Now, at 75, I understand exactly what he ...Read more

Dear Annie: When my husband and I retired, I imagined we'd spend more time together -- relaxing, traveling, maybe picking up some hobbies. But to my surprise, he dove headfirst into a new phase of life, setting up a home office to work on electronic projects he never had time for during his career.

The problem was, I kept interrupting him ...Read more

Dear Annie: I recently reconnected with a former co-worker I was very close to -- so close that many of our co-workers once thought we were dating, which was a big no! When we ran into each other, we shared a longer than normal embrace, and she gave me a peck on the cheek. I did the same. We agreed to a dinner date that upcoming weekend.

When...Read more

Dear Annie: I enjoy reading your advice and hope you have some for me.

I've always been the person people come to with their problems. I'm told I'm a good listener, likely because of my own counseling journey. I often suggest therapy or AA to others, especially when addiction is involved.

I grew up in an abusive, alcoholic environment and ...Read more

Dear Annie: My husband and I live in a three-bedroom house with our two grown children. Recently, our youngest daughter had a baby and moved back home -- bringing her boyfriend with her. We told her beforehand that he couldn't stay here, but they moved him in anyway. Now, the two of them -- and their baby -- are living out of her bedroom.

...Read more

Dear Annie: I am almost 40 and trying to rebuild a healthier relationship with my dad. When I was a child, he was my hero, the person I looked up to and went to for advice. When I was about 10, he told me that I would probably have trouble getting along with him during my teenage years, but that things would get better when I became an adult. ...Read more

Dear Annie: I've been with my loving partner, "Daniel," for six years. We're both in our 40s and have children from previous relationships. Our life together is generally very harmonious. We share responsibilities, enjoy spending time together and support one another deeply. We align on most values and have built a life that, in many ways, ...Read more

Dear Annie: I have always considered myself someone who values friendship deeply. I have many friends, at least on paper, but I have noticed something that has started to weigh heavily on me. I am almost always the one reaching out. If I do not initiate the call, text or invitation, days or even weeks go by in silence. It is rare that anyone ...Read more

Dear Annie: My best friend and I have been close for over 20 years. We've seen each other through marriages, divorces, parenting challenges, health scares -- you name it. She is the person I call when I'm heartbroken, when I'm celebrating or when I just need someone to remind me who I am.

Lately, though, she has been going through a rough ...Read more

Dear Annie: I've been with my girlfriend for seven years and lived with her for four. She wants to get married and have kids. For the past three years, I've promised to propose every six months, but when the time comes, I back out. I even went ring shopping but couldn't pull the trigger.

Although I want to get married and have kids one day, ...Read more

Dear Annie: My husband does not like my sister. He says she reminds him too much of his ex-wife. It has now come to the point where he doesn't want to be around her. This is making it very difficult to see my whole family. They live in Canada, and we are planning a trip there to visit them, seeing as my father's mental health is getting bad.

My...Read more