ArcaMax

Dear Annie: I've been happily married for more than 40 years. The one shadow on that happiness has been my relationship with my husband's family, especially my mother-in-law. From the beginning, she has never seemed to like me. I honestly do not know why. Over the years, she has been dismissive and unkind, and I have usually stayed quiet to ...Read more

Dear Annie: My best friend and I have been close since college. He is the person who helped me move into my first apartment, who showed up with coffee during finals, who still remembers the name of my childhood dog. That is why it hurts so much to watch him repeat the same pattern that already cost him almost everything.

Years ago, his ...Read more

The city invited me to ride on its inaugural hot-air balloon flight. We headed to the local high school fields at a chilly dawn, and the brand new balloon slowly woke as air and heat gave it shape. The burners thundered, and the basket rocked beneath our feet. Then the ground loosened its hold. Gravity softened. The familiar sense of weight, not...Read more

Dear Annie: I got divorced after 27 years of marriage. I didn't leave because I stopped loving my husband -- I left because I was lonely inside my own home. We stopped talking, stopped laughing, stopped noticing each other. I spent years saying, "It's fine" until one day I realized I didn't want my life to be fine. I wanted it to be real.

My ...Read more

Dear Annie: I see that you often answer questions pertaining to families trapped in addiction. I grew up in that special hell with all of the complex trauma issues that go along with that lifestyle.

I am a card-carrying member of Alcoholics Anonymous and Adult Children of Alcoholics. I have found ACA the most helpful. You never mention it, so I...Read more

Dear Annie: I am struggling with what to do about one of my very best friends who is basically family to me at this point. Throughout our friendship, I have noticed that she does not say "thank you" very often. This includes when a gift is given to her or even when a customer purchases something in person from her small business.

When I have ...Read more

Dear Annie: I have never been ignorant to the fact that, in my opinion, my parents' marriage sucks. My dad is and has always been controlling and domineering. And my mom just exists and really believes it is her job to just be submissive. (These are people married since the 1950s.)

But the last couple of years, particularly 2020-present, my dad...Read more

Ready for some dares that just might tickle your brain? Well, for openers, I dare you to plan your free time without leaving spaces for possible dates.

I dare you to regard Saturday night -- that holy of holies -- as merely one-seventh of the week. Nothing special. (Beginning to get my point?)

I dare you to plan the week ahead as a unit. ...Read more

Dear Annie: I've read a few letters in your column in which parents wrote about two of their children arguing and wanting there to be peace. And in all of the replies, you have advocated trying to remind people about the good times and work toward building back the relationship.

Generally, in most of these situations, there is one sibling who ...Read more

Dear Annie: Here's my dilemma: I moved back into my dad's house several years ago, and he has been good friends with "Chuck" and his wife "Rose" for at least 20 years. He goes out to dinner with them regularly and often has them over to the house for drinks and cards.

Well, about seven years ago, Chuck was sent to prison for molesting his very ...Read more

Living in the desert teaches you a different respect for fire. Fire can clear land, restore balance, and make space for new growth. However, uncontrolled fire doesn't necessarily transform. It can just as quickly destroy what you poured your efforts into over time.

There is a fire growing from an anger at the injustices we see daily. It's ...Read more