ArcaMax

DEAR HARRIETTE: I am one of the many people who have lost their job this year due to the pushback against diversity, equity and inclusion programs. I have an advanced degree and decades of experience in my field, and it doesn't seem to matter. I am having a difficult time finding work in this environment. What's worse is that some of my "friends...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: My ex-husband and I have been divorced for over 20 years. We see each other at family functions and are very cordial and polite with each other, as is his girlfriend, who also attends these events.

Neither of us has remarried. He has been in a relationship with this female for many years, but they don't live together.

When ...Read more

Dear Annie: A few months ago, my younger sister, "Kate," announced during dinner that she and her boyfriend were moving to Nashville to "start fresh." Everyone wished her well, but I was blindsided. What she didn't share was that she'd already told me she was leaving our family business -- the bakery our parents started 30 years ago and that ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I am pregnant with the first-born grandson on both sides. My husband and I plan to use my husband's middle name for our son's first name and my father's middle name for his middle name. My father is "the III" but has no sons, so we thought this would be a way to honor him and represent my side of the family.

My sister is the first ...Read more

Here's another quiz for your enjoyment. Do you agree or disagree with the following statements?

--Being single means being alone and lonely.

--Single women have a tougher time than single men.

--Men don't want the same things from a relationship as women.

--All women should marry and have children.

--A woman is incomplete without a man.

--...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: My manager has a habit of scheduling meetings that often run long, and they frequently overlap with other commitments on my calendar. Most of the time, these overlapping commitments are networking chats with colleagues. I know that my primary responsibility is to prioritize my manager and my team's work, but I feel like I'm ...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I am a man with curly hair. A year ago, I decided to grow it out. Today I went in for a haircut. I told the barber that I was growing it "classical musician" long, but that I needed the bottom of the back trimmed up. I expected it could use a little bit of shaping up all over, as well.

When he was finished and turned me ...Read more

Dear Annie: Every year, Thanksgiving turns into a tug-of-war in my family. My siblings and I all live within driving distance of our parents, but the holiday always comes with arguments about who's hosting, who's cooking and which in-laws get priority. This year feels worse than ever. My sister insists that everyone come to her house, but my ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I'm 22, and my boyfriend is 21. We've been dating for a few months. At a recent family dinner, his maternal grandfather hit on me. I was helping to clear the dinner table and leaned across the table to grab some dirty plates when Grandpa shoved his hand up my skirt. Then he leered at me, and my survival instincts kicked in. I slapped ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I am struggling to get my health on track. My doctor has warned me that I am prediabetic. I have seen other people my age who have diabetes and some of the side effects that come with it when treatment and diet are not taken seriously, but for some reason, that doesn't seem to be enough for me to change my own ways. I don't ...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: In the era of selfies, I'm as guilty as anyone of holding my phone out and snapping a photo of my spouse and me in front of some interesting feature. Those photos stay on my phone, or maybe on a social media account, but no further.

Conversely, my grandparents, of blessed memory, who never even heard the word "selfie," had ...Read more

Dear Annie: I am struggling with what feels like a small thing, but it weighs on me. I have several great-nieces and great-nephews, and over the years I've tried to remember birthdays with cards, little gifts or even just a phone call. Lately, though, I feel overwhelmed. Between the number of children, the cost of presents and my own busy life...Read more

DEAR ABBY: Two years ago, a close friend of my husband's and mine asked us to be the "best couple" in their wedding. After being postponed for a year due to some family issues, the wedding is coming up soon. My husband and I have been married 25 years. We have a strong, faithful bond.

Last weekend, we were informed that we won't be paired ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: My best friend and I have shifted from talking and texting most days to interacting only via social media. It didn't happen overnight, but at some point, I felt as though I was always initiating communication. I was in a tough season recently, and when I didn't have it in me to call or text loved ones, I realized I didn't hear ...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: Dinner parties and entertaining are not the only currencies of friendship.

I frequently gave rides to a friend of mine, who later bought a nice home and began hosting dinner parties. I assumed she was throwing these dinners as thank-yous for those of us who had chauffeured her around for decades, but no -- she was bummed that...Read more