DEAR ABBY: A co-worker, “Erin,” has been allowed to work from home since the COVID-19 pandemic, while the rest of us came back to the office. We function alongside each other much like a small family. We have no drama, no office politics and an overall great atmosphere. Erin’s absence has caused a strain on … Read more
DEAR ABBY: My husband and I have been together 23 years, married for almost nine. We are in our 60s. It’s the second marriage for both of us. I retired due to having to move to another state for his job. I make friends wherever I go and get involved in community activities. My husband … Read more
DEAR ABBY: I’m a 50-year-old woman who has lived with orthopedic challenges due to a congenital metabolic condition. Despite many surgeries and limited mobility, I have led a full life as a special needs teacher, wife and caregiver for my grandmother. After my grandmother passed last year, I struggled emotionally and started weekly Zoom sessions … Read more
DEAR ABBY: I am a very overweight woman, but down 50 pounds from my top weight and continuing at a consistent, but slow, rate to lose. My A1C is now down to pre-diabetic, so I know my efforts are making a difference. I recently had a terrible bout of sciatica and pain in an arthritic … Read more
DEAR ABBY: I am in my early 30s and happy in certain aspects of my life: I recently moved to a house and married a man I love very much. I have friends, hobbies and dreams. One of these dreams is to be a novelist, although I do marketing for a tech company right now. … Read more
DEAR ABBY: My retired husband of 15 years, “Seth,” is pushing me to the edge of divorce. He’s extremely negative, verbally abusive and estranged from many friends, which has harmed my relationships with friends and family. He drinks almost all day (I drink as well), calls me horrible names I won’t repeat and refuses to … Read more
DEAR ABBY: Two years ago, my husband was told that our adult child’s partner had tested positive for COVID two days before we were scheduled to visit them. My husband — a forever Good Time Charlie — decided not to inform me. Neither of us at that point had contracted COVID. We had taken every … Read more
DEAR ABBY: My son died of cancer at 33. It was heartbreaking. My daughter-in-law, “Belinda,” had grown distant before his death, and although they had a son through artificial insemination, I have almost never seen him. I helped with the weeding in my son’s yard, but any time I came, Belinda always had the baby … Read more
DEAR ABBY: I am in a long-term relationship and things are good. I feel loved, and I love him. However, we have opposite opinions about current politics. It is disturbing that he could feel this way. Our discussions usually result in his telling me over and over, louder and louder, “how things are” and “what … Read more
DEAR ABBY: My sister, “Blanche,” and I didn’t grow up together after she turned 13. I was 6 at that time, and our grandmother raised her. We talked on the phone a lot until I was 45 and my husband died. Blanche then convinced me to move to her state. When I received the insurance … Read more
DEAR ABBY: My son has completely given up on dating. Whether it’s blind dates, casual meetings with members from our church, or dating events I pay for and make him go to, he still hasn’t found a wife. At 36, he should already have children and a partner, but despite the best efforts of my … Read more
DEAR ABBY: My parents were married for 50 years. My dad remarried a nice lady a year after Mom died. Within two months of meeting her, they were engaged. Dad made more than a few missteps, including announcing the engagement on Facebook before informing Mom’s sister, inviting the new wife to Mom’s delayed out-of-town memorial … Read more
DEAR ABBY: My sister recently became very ill and had to be hospitalized for four days. When I called and told our daughter, she was concerned and supportive. Then, I called our son, “Isaac,” and left a message to please call me because it was important. He did not return my call. A couple days … Read more
DEAR ABBY: I’m a 55-year-old man who dated a very special lady, “Dawn,” for 12 years. We were both married when we met. I fell in love with her, and after we divorced our spouses, we continued being together. I have two kids. Dawn didn’t get along with the older one. My daughter wasn’t rude, … Read more
DEAR ABBY: My 58-year-old husband recently shared a bed in our camper with a 21-year-old family friend. The friend is female. This happened in my absence. He thinks of her as a “daughter,” and although I’m not concerned about anything inappropriate happening between them, I still feel it was inappropriate. I expressed my feelings to … Read more
DEAR ABBY: My wife and I stopped having sexual relations eight years ago. She keeps our two grandchildren 11 to 12 hours a day, five (and sometimes six) days a week. (That’s 60 to 70 hours.) By the time they’re picked up, she’s irritated, agitated, frustrated and wants to be left alone. She doesn’t want … Read more
DEAR ABBY: I’m a young gay man with a problem. I met a cute guy, “Mark,” with a sweet personality, and the sex has been awesome. We spent two consecutive nights together in a hotel, but two days later he went to church, and he’s now convinced that being gay is wrong. Mark still rubs … Read more
DEAR ABBY: Ten years ago, I connected with “Christi,” a daughter I fathered with a woman I was in a relationship with for a short time decades ago. We split before Christi was born. My ex-girlfriend didn’t tell me about her until after she was born. By that time, she was married to a man … Read more
DEAR ABBY: My boyfriend and I have two children and work opposite evening shifts so that one of us is home with the kids at all times. Recently, my best friend from high school surprised me with concert tickets to our favorite band, but the concert is on a night I’m supposed to be with … Read more
DEAR ABBY: As my parents have aged, my father has been misremembering things or making wrong assumptions. It has increasingly gotten on my mom’s nerves (she has also become more impatient and snappy lately), and she has been yelling at him in response. Sometimes, he responds back, but usually he doesn’t. My sister snapped at … Read more