ArcaMax

DEAR ABBY: I am neat and organized, but my wife is the opposite. She's messy and disorganized. I knew it before we married, but we made a handshake deal that she'd make an effort to pick up after herself once we moved in together. Unfortunately, it hasn't happened.

Every time she comes home, whatever she's carrying gets dropped on the nearest ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I recently welcomed my adult son into my home. I didn't know him as he was growing up; I learned about him when he was already 18, and since then we've stayed in touch through visits, calls and texts. When his mother passed away, he asked to move in with me. My wife and daughters supported the decision, and he's been living with ...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I had a choking incident at the office today when I inhaled a cherry tomato.

One of my direct reports did the Heimlich maneuver and helped loosen it, and then one of the guys from another department joined in to keep the tomato moving. As I recovered, a secretary from down the hall put a cold compress on my neck and forehead....Read more

Dear Annie: I'm a 32-year-old single woman facing a predicament. I've been friends with a guy named "Stan" for a few months, though we haven't actually talked in over a month now. We were acquainted in high school, but we lost touch after a short while. Stan and I went on a couple of dates, and I thought things were going well, but then he asked...Read more

DEAR ABBY: To help out his parents, I pick up my grandson from day care two days a week. I recently started taking him to a local park for about 45 minutes before I take him home. I'm physically active and climb the slides, chase him around and play with him. He loves our time together.

Over the last two weeks, there has been a little 6-year-...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: My daughter has vitiligo and is adjusting to the changes in her skin and hair. She's only 7 years old, and as most of us know, kids can be insensitive. Some of her classmates can be judgmental, so it's been an uphill battle reminding her how beautiful she is, and that the differences in her appearance don't make her any different...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I was at a store with narrow aisles. I turned down an aisle that had two women with carts. The first woman I encountered completely ignored me, so I gently pushed my cart past. The second woman was older, in her 60s or 70s, and asked if I would like to get through.

Thinking she was being courteous, I smiled and said, "Yes, ...Read more

Dear Annie: My husband confided to me that his mother had an eating disorder in the past, and there are possible signs she may have relapsed. When she visits us, she will exercise for hours daily, regularly disparage her physical appearance and skip meals claiming that she is "too bloated" to eat. I'm never sure what is the best way to respond ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I am a senior woman in great shape. I am active, and I have never had a problem attracting men. Five years ago, I married a man I had known for many years. We used to have a pretty active sex life, but it has been four years since he has touched me in an intimate way. He says he doesn't know why, and that it is due to lack of ...Read more

DEAR READERS: A couple of years ago, a friend of mine lent me a pair of pants. Soon after the occasion, I stopped by to visit her and totally forgot to bring her pants with me. I admitted my mistake, and then she told me I could keep them because they don't fit her well. A few days ago, she reached out asking for her pants, and when I made a ...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I frequently attend team lunches and dinners with my immediate department members, both supervisors and associates. These dining experiences are mostly personal affairs and come after a week of hard teamwork.

We work in an industry where we will be in one location for a few months, and then move on to another city. We all get...Read more

Dear Annie: After dating a guy who turned out to be a narcissist, my question is, how can I heal? I've tried everything, and I've even felt like I'm over it and I'm OK, but then I have my days. It's like grieving.

I fell in love with this man, and feel like I let my guard down way too soon, only to be disappointed. Yes, he pursued me heavily, ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: Please help me move forward. My brother-in-law is dating a woman my husband was intimate with once before we were married. It makes family functions very awkward for me, but most of the family sees it as the past. It was the past, but it is now in our faces. My husband feels the same way.

Do we just keep the peace and stay away from ...Read more

This is more than an exercise; this is a commandment! You absolutely must make being good to yourself a daily event. And very few people, even those closest to you, can even begin to know what that means; even that inner circle can't read your mind. No, only you can give yourself what you need to grow and thrive. But now that I've got your ...Read more