DEAR ABBY: My oldest son, “Adam,” turned 50 last month. He and his wife, “Lindy,” live four hours away. They invited me and my husband to a birthday party she was having for him. Adam’s daughter from a previous marriage couldn’t make it for whatever reason. Lindy tends to drink too much. At one point, … Read more
DEAR ABBY: My ex, “Hank,” and I have two sons together. Both are smart, kind, college-educated, hardworking and independent young adults. Hank is estranged from our younger son, “Andrew.” Andrew could never live up to his father’s expectations. This is one of the reasons I fell out of love with my husband. He would initiate … Read more
DEAR ABBY: I often see ads about stopping smoking. I’d like to share my story of success in overcoming this filthy habit in the hope that it may help someone else. I smoked four packs of non-filtered cigarettes every day. At the age of 37, I knew I wanted to quit. I set a goal … Read more
DEAR ABBY: My brother has ALS and lives in another state. He has a wife and children. His wife has decided that when family visits from out of state, they need to stay in a hotel instead of their house because she does not have the capacity to host. I understand that it is stressful … Read more
DEAR ABBY: After my father died by suicide, my mother moved the family across the country. I was 13, and I never discussed my father’s death with anyone. Now, 50 years later, my best friend from high school has terminated our friendship because I don’t support her politics. Her parting comment to me: “I was … Read more
DEAR ABBY: I just left a verbally and physically abusive relationship. I suffer from mental illness, and “Scott” made it worse. We lived together for almost four years. I could beat myself up over deciding to live with him. He’s an alcoholic, narcissistic, bipolar, sociopathic liar who swears he’s a man of God. Scott kicked … Read more
DEAR ABBY: My niece-in-law, “Justine,” is a few years younger than my husband and I. We have been best friends for the last 25 years. She’s 55 and divorced, with a grown daughter but no man in her life. She’s extremely lonely and has only us as emotional support. During the last year, she has … Read more
DEAR ABBY: My father and I have had a contentious relationship since I was a teenager. Despite being raised in his house, my values are different from his, and he takes it personally. I left home as soon as I was old enough and have lived the way I want since then. After a couple … Read more
Staying in Chicago. Abby Elliott, who currently plays Jeremy Allen White’s fictional sister on “The Bear,” has found a new onscreen sibling in Sarah Snook. The actors now star together in Peacock’s “All Her Fault,” which premieres Thursday. “She’s a younger sister,” Elliott, 38, told The Post about her character, Lia. “I’m an older sister … Read more
DEAR ABBY: My husband and I are celebrating our second anniversary. For the most part, we’re very happy. He’s the best friend I’ve ever had. The problem is his family. They’re wonderful people who have welcomed me with open arms. But they are also extremely clingy and lack common boundaries. We recently moved to a … Read more
DEAR ABBY: For the past two years, I have been trying to conceal from my family (with modest success) that I’m asexual. I overhear conversations my parents have been having with my older siblings on the subject of dating, and I’m becoming increasingly frustrated that my experiences have been so different from theirs. I have … Read more
DEAR ABBY: My sister is cheap. She’s also not good at choosing gifts for people. Often, the things she gives are worse than if she’d done nothing at all. An example: She was just here visiting and brought my 4-year-old a toy car she’d picked up at a garage sale (fine, so far), but one … Read more
DEAR ABBY: My relationship with my mother-in-law has been rocky for the nine years I’ve been married to her daughter. She has been very hurtful at times, saying things like, “You’re not welcome [in her house].” She has never accepted me. She was recently unable to stay within the boundaries my wife and I set … Read more
DEAR ABBY: I have a group of wonderful women friends I have known for decades. We get together monthly for dinner and drinks at a local restaurant. The location is generally left up to whoever has a birthday that month, and usually varies among three choices. Occasionally, I bow out if they choose a restaurant … Read more
DEAR ABBY: My neighbor is 80. She’s my political opposite. She’s known me since I was 13. Her husband died 10 or so years ago. All she does all day is stay inside her house (even when it’s sunny) and watch TV news. I try to be nice to her because she’s alone and probably … Read more
DEAR ABBY: My husband and I discussed our 25th anniversary and mentioned Hawaii as a possibility. He reached out to his brother and sister-in-law for suggestions, since they have visited Hawaii twice and we never have. My husband mentioned to my sister-in-law (without consulting me) that maybe the four of us should travel together to … Read more
DEAR ABBY: My grandmother passed away 16 years ago. Before she passed, she told me and my two kids that she had an account for each of them for their college. After she was gone, my aunt was in charge of her will. My kids never got their money, and my aunt would never let … Read more
DEAR ABBY: My sister has always been a liar and a manipulator. She has lost jobs because of her toxic behavior. Our parents passed away 20 years ago, and ever since, she has trashed their memory to anyone who will listen. She claims she was unwanted because she was female, that my parents refused to … Read more
DEAR ABBY: Our granddaughter, “Amy,” who shows in 4-H, decided to take her stepdad’s last name when appearing at the fair. Our son, her father, is a big part of her life. This is the second year in a row she has done this, and it hurts me and my husband deeply. Her mother, stepdad … Read more
DEAR ABBY: I was with the same person (my first “everything” guy) for 23 years. A few years after the shock of a divorce, I met someone 10 years my junior. He makes me feel I’m the most beautiful woman in the world, complimenting on what my ex considered my faults, showing I am still … Read more