DEAR ABBY: I am the father of four, two boys and two girls, ranging in age from late teens to mid-20s. I was extremely close with all of them until my divorce seven years ago. Most would say they were closer to me than to their mom. My boys still talk to me, and we … Read more
DEAR ABBY: I have a brother-in-law I have no contact with because he is jealous of my success and has made violent threats toward me. Every holiday and family function, when my mom asks me to attend, I ask if “Mr. Violent” is going to be there. Her answer is always, “I can’t tell him … Read more
DEAR ABBY: I moved to a rural area a couple of years ago and was surprised at how friendly my neighbors were. They seemed eager to help at first. I got sick and had to spend a few days in the hospital. I asked the couple to please feed and water my pets until I … Read more
DEAR ABBY: I am a 40-plus-year-old single male. I recently started hanging out with one of my friend “Tom’s” ex-girlfriends. It is now turning into more than friends. “Pam” and I both have feelings for each other. She and Tom dated for five months and broke up eight months ago. Do I owe it to … Read more
DEAR READERS: Welcome to 2024. A new year has arrived; the last one is safely behind us. As always, this new year brings with it our hopes for a new beginning. Today presents an opportunity to discard destructive old habits for healthy new ones and, with that in mind, I will share Dear Abby’s often-requested … Read more
DEAR ABBY: I have been married three years. The man I married is not the person I fell in love with. After our wedding, he demanded that I take his last name. I am proud of my last name, and I didn’t want to drop it. (If only that were the sole problem.) I am … Read more
DEAR ABBY: Our son “Ted” met a young lady, “Gina,” who I really like. She told him she had polycystic ovary syndrome and would have a hard time conceiving. Well, she got pregnant and they ended up, spur of the moment, going to the courthouse to get married. When Gina went into labor, we drove … Read more
DEAR ABBY: I have been married to my husband for 12 years. We have had our ups and downs. I was unfaithful at one point, and he left for eight months, but we worked through it all. We are now coming out of another really rough patch involving a lot of arguing and talk of … Read more
DEAR ABBY: I have been seeing the same man for a year and a half. In the beginning, we were, basically, friends with benefits, and we were OK with that. Having both gone through recent breakups or divorce, neither of us wanted anything serious. However, after six months passed, I started falling for him. He … Read more
DEAR ABBY: My dear friend “Lana” and her husband both passed away a while back. Recently, my son confided that he and Lana’s daughter had an affair years ago that resulted in a child. We all grew up close and regarded ourselves as related even though we were not. Lana’s daughter married someone and passed … Read more
DEAR ABBY: I have recently been diagnosed with breast cancer. Due to my DNA results, I will have a double mastectomy sometime in the next few months after I finish chemo. I want to celebrate that it was caught early by throwing a “Ta-ta to the Tatas” party complete with crazy wigs, a boob cake … Read more
DEAR ABBY: I moved to a smaller city from a larger one seven years ago. There are fewer businesses here. I often struggle to get home repairs done because people here operate on “regional time,” meaning they get to stuff when they feel like it, if they feel like doing it at all. Some of … Read more
DEAR ABBY: My daughter, who is in eighth grade, has slowly come out as lesbian. She enjoys makeup and fashion, but isn’t absolute in presenting in a feminine way. She is an artist and a musician, is very creative and enjoys being unique in her style sense. Some of the students have tried to project … Read more
DEAR ABBY: My husband and I have been married for 25 years. Right now, our marriage is in trouble because I have been ordered to rekindle a relationship with his mother, whom I haven’t spoken to in six years. In my opinion, the woman is toxic. For 17 years, she has essentially stabbed me in … Read more
DEAR ABBY: I am a 42-year-old male, married for 19 years with three teenage children. My wife recently decided to return to work after staying home with the kids as a full-time mom. She’s an elementary school teacher and has a male co-worker. For six months, this co-worker has been texting her constantly, sometimes every … Read more
DEAR ABBY: My husband of 30 years died. We weren’t rich. I was 54 years old. We each had a will leaving all our assets to the other. We were self-employed, so there was no IRA or 401(k). I sold our only piece of property, and as a result, I have a small savings. My … Read more
DEAR ABBY: My husband’s parents divorced 50 years ago when he was a newborn. Both remarried within a few years. My husband was raised by his mom and stepdad. His mother and father had little contact after their divorce. Because of that, my husband does not have a close relationship with his biological father, who … Read more
DEAR ABBY: I recently found out that my 20-year high school reunion took place and I wasn’t invited. I’m still occasionally in touch with several friends from high school and easy to find on social media. I did attend my 10-year reunion, although I may not have received an invite myself because I went as … Read more
DEAR ABBY: Three days before my daughter “Ginger’s” wedding, her fiancè called to announce that he could not marry her because she’s bisexual. It’s something he knew about for a year but waited until three days before the wedding to mention. Needless to say, my husband and I were shocked, embarrassed and devastated. We had … Read more
DEAR ABBY: Four years ago, I lost my husband of 20 years. After it happened, I told his younger brother, whom he was closest to, that I was going to write about him. However, some things have stopped me. I lost our dog six months ago and watched her follow a similar path as my … Read more