ArcaMax

DEAR ABBY: I've been divorced for 10 years and have since remarried. I began dating my current wife nine years ago. I have four daughters, ages 24 through 37. Since the divorce, our relationships have been strained because my ex continues to hold them emotionally hostage by feeding her narrative that I'm the bad guy for initiating the divorce. ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: Before my boyfriend and I were an item, he and his childhood crush dated for almost 10 years and had two children together. Eventually they parted ways, and she moved out west. Since they grew up together, he is still close with her family.

A few days ago, his ex's mother called and invited him to her birthday party. He told me ...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: Our house uses an electronic door code instead of a key and lock. Our relatives know the code, from times when they needed to access our home without us there -- for instance, picking up supplies for us while we were in the hospital, or getting to the house before us for a dinner when the weather was bad.

Outside of times ...Read more

Dear Annie: My best friend and I, both 54-year-old females, met two weeks before kindergarten. Except for a couple of years, we have stayed friends throughout our lives. We see each other every few months when I'm in town for a doctor's appointment. Since last year, we've been going to concerts and a couple of comedy shows, and we attended our...Read more

DEAR ABBY: My in-laws have repeatedly attempted to destroy my marriage. My husband knows they trash-talk us to family, thinking we don't know it, but he won't put up any meaningful boundaries or check them whatsoever. I have lost all respect for him because he lies to me, telling me he has confronted them, when I know for a fact he hasn't.

We ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I overheard my girlfriend on the phone with someone discussing an important work event she was meant to attend. Her colleague, whom I've met a few times, said they'd given her a plus one and mentioned that my girlfriend would probably want to have me there, too. To my surprise, she denied the need for a plus one, saying that I ...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: Our group of friends is about 15 people large. We have known each other for over three decades. At the opposite end of the group is a couple that we only see when the entire group gets together.

We like to entertain, and have invited this couple for years. They have never accepted our invitations, though they accept ...Read more

Dear Annie: I've worked as a night-shift nurse for the past six years and have always struggled with sleep, but lately it's gotten worse. I'm lucky if I get four hours during the day, and when I do, I wake up feeling anxious and jittery. I've tried blackout curtains, white noise, melatonin, you name it. I even sleep with earplugs and my phone ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I have known "Sheila" for 30 years. We were once dear friends. She was always a social drinker. Twelve years ago, she lost her husband to cancer and began drinking increasingly heavily. Sheila's now an alcoholic. Friends and family have tried many times to help her. She went to rehab twice to appease her daughter. She tried AA but ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I am struggling right now, emotionally and financially. My tenants haven't paid their rent in months! I try to remain passive about it, as I am relying on the legal system to settle this issue, but my son is infuriated. Every day we see our tenants get dressed, head to work, bring home groceries, order takeout, host guests and ...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: One co-worker likes to host office parties with food-themed potlucks. She will suggest a dish that she will cook and bring to share, such as trays of chicken wings or seafood pasta. Generally a lunch would have eight to 20 people.

As she likes to make these meat- or seafood-based dishes, she will then ask for financial ...Read more

Dear Annie: I'm 27 and recently moved back to my small hometown after nearly a decade away. I took a job here to be closer to my mom, who's recovering from a stroke. It's been an adjustment, but I'm managing. The problem is my former best friend, "Kelsey."

We were inseparable in high school but drifted apart during college. No falling out, ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I see a psychiatrist and psychologist for generalized anxiety disorder, major depression disorder and borderline personality disorder. According to my doctors, my psychiatric disorders are a result of the 44 years of abuse I received from my mother, as well as the abuse she allowed others to inflict on me.

Her physical abuse stopped ...Read more

DEAR SUSAN: I've been reading a lot of letters in your column about child support. How about a kid's perspective? My dad never sees me. Why should I want to see him? He owes my siblings and me thousands of dollars' worth of food, clothing, medical treatment, etc. I'm not complaining about apartments that don't have carpet or having to watch ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: Throughout my entire pregnancy, my mom treated me badly. I was 18 when I found out I was pregnant, and she was not happy. Not only was I not married, but I wasn't in a particularly stable relationship either. She held a grudge, probably out of shame or embarrassment. She barely spoke to me, and when she did, she was not kind.

...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I have a dear friend who occasionally attends functions with me where food is available -- usually breakfasts. She invariably takes an item (a bagel, muffin or cookie, say), breaks off the amount she wants and then puts the remainder back on the serving platter.

I think this is wrong, as she's touching the food with bare ...Read more