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Dear Annie: I've been a big fan of your column for years, but I felt that some useful context was missing from a recent response about how to deal with people knocking on doors.

Having worked extensively in political outreach, I understand how frustrating unsolicited visits can be. However, canvassing for elections or other causes is hard ...Read more

Dear Annie: I've been with my spouse for nine years. Lately, I feel he's so distant, and I can't help but be bothered by it. About a year ago, everything changed. He started hiding his phone, being secretive with his friends, had multiple social media accounts, etc.

I've had a gut feeling for a while, and when I talked to him about it, he ...Read more

Dear Annie: My wife of 19 years still to this day keeps in contact with her ex-boyfriend from high school.

They dated all through high school, and after they broke up, he ran her through the mud by spreading rumors about her to all her friends and then wrote a long letter to her stating how she was a slut.

Fast-forward many years, when we ...Read more

Dear Annie: I'm a 17-year-old girl, and I will be turning 18 next month. I'm a senior in high school, and my grades are excellent! I've applied to all of my colleges, and now I'm waiting for the decisions, which I will find out very soon. I live in Arizona, and the schools are in New York, D.C. and North Carolina (with my first choice being in...Read more

Dear Readers: So many of you wrote about the widow columns that I printed recently, and made some interesting points, so I wanted to share a few of these letters with everyone.

Dear Annie: Oh, wow! I just saw this in our paper and pointed it out to my wife. She didn't believe it at first, and I was just as surprised. Widows being shunned by ...Read more

Dear Annie: My husband and I have been married for 14 years. He is 9 years younger than I am, and when we got married, we each brought three children into our blended family. For the past two years, I was the primary caregiver for my mother after she had a stroke. Even before that, I spent a significant amount of my time caring for my elderly ...Read more

Dear Annie: I have a very toxic and narcissistic sister-in-law. Despite years of unpleasant family problems caused by her, my husband and his brother (her siblings) feel obligated to stay in contact with her. Now that their parents have passed away, I had hoped we could reduce this contact even further.

The issue has become more pressing as ...Read more

Dear Annie: I've been in a 14-year relationship with a man who never proposed. Early on, it didn't bother me much; we were both divorced with kids, and I'd just ended a 13-year marriage. But over time, his vague promises of "someday" have worn thin. He's lived with me for 11 years, helps with some handiwork around the house and contributes to ...Read more

Dear Annie: I was a high school teacher in an urban area and just retired after a grueling 37-year career under very difficult circumstances. I've been married for 30-plus years and am the father of two daughters who are now in their late 20s.

I've been a good father, husband and provider for my family throughout my life. My relationship with...Read more

Dear Annie: Last week, my good friend "Jess" called me at 6 a.m. to ask if I could drive her to an appointment that same morning, even though I had to be at work by 8. This kind of last-minute favor is becoming a pattern. I've been tempted to say no, but she will always guilt me with something like, "You're the only one I can count on!"

I ...Read more

Dear Readers: I want to wish you and your families a wonderful Thanksgiving! This holiday gives me the perfect reason to express how grateful I am for all of you. Your thoughtful questions and comments have taught me so much about life and continue to inspire me every day. Thank you for letting me be a part of your journey.

Practicing ...Read more

Dear Annie: My husband and I have a 6-year-old daughter, "Eliza," and we recently have not been seeing eye to eye in terms of how to handle discipline. For example, last week, when she refused to put her toys away after playing with them, I told her she couldn't watch TV until it was done. She threw a fit, and instead of backing me up, my ...Read more

Dear Annie: I work at a school as a teacher and have struggled over the years with how cliquey the other teachers have been. Shortly after I started there, the pandemic happened, and many people friended each other on Facebook. Because that was the only source for a sense of community as we went through those first few dark months, I accepted ...Read more

Dear Annie: We have a home that's over 120 years old, and we've spent a lot of time and money maintaining it because we love it. We finally have it just the way we want, but it's becoming too much for us. After a lot of discussion, I finally convinced my husband to consider selling and moving, and he's on board. The problem, though, is with ...Read more

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