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Friend Wants To Help Woman Struggling With Mental Health

Life Advice / Sense & Sensitivity /

DEAR HARRIETTE: I have a close friend who is always upbeat, kind and full of energy, which is why I was surprised when she recently confided in me that she has been struggling with her mental health. She didn't go into too much detail, but I could tell that it's been weighing on her for a while.

I want to be a good friend and offer her the ...Read more

Don't Upstage Host's Easter Dessert

Life Advice / Miss Manners /

DEAR MISS MANNERS: Would you consider it rude to bring an additional dish to a dinner, even if it wasn't requested?

This is for an Easter dinner, so it is a meal in which the dishes are meant to be special. When I asked what I could contribute, I was asked to bring a side. I'm more than happy to do this, but I'm also inspired to make a yummy ...Read more

Making Peace Without Answers

Life Advice / Dear Annie /

Dear Annie: My husband hasn't heard a word from his mother in over 20 years -- not even after the deaths of two of her sons. She's now 94, and we recently heard she's still alive, still isolated, and still unwilling to speak to him or anyone else in the family.

It breaks my heart. I remember the early years of our marriage -- sending her ...Read more

Woman About To Share News Of Her Surprise Pregnancy

Life Advice / Dear Abby /

DEAR ABBY: My partner and I have been together more than five years now. He has two adult children. I learned two days ago that I am pregnant. At 43 years old, I didn't think a child was in my future. But now that I'm pregnant, I couldn't be happier. I'm cautiously excited because I am unsure what my partner's reaction is going to be. I haven't ...Read more

Millennial Life: Tugging at the Same Roots

I waited to return her call until I had all the information I could get. Unfortunately, the ultimate why for the destruction of the trees was beyond my reach.

She left a message in a resigned panic. She couldn't stop those cutting down the old mesquite trees, even though she tried to reach out to the postmaster at two of the post offices in ...Read more

Asking Eric: Infidelity makes wedding weekend an awkward affair

Life Advice / Asking Eric /

Dear Eric: It has recently come to light that the father of my goddaughter has been cheating on his wife for almost the entirety of their 30-year marriage. For some reason, the wife has decided to stay with this man. My goddaughter’s destination wedding is coming up soon. I don’t want to be in a room with this man, let alone hug or converse ...Read more

The Quiet Signs of Emotional Abuse

Life Advice / Dear Annie /

Dear Annie: My mom and I read your column every day, and we always find your advice thoughtful and compassionate. Lately, I've been thinking about something I witnessed years ago while working in a shelter for abused women. It's stayed with me -- the way emotional abuse often begins so subtly, with little comments that chip away at someone's ...Read more

Grown Godchildren No Longer Communicate As Often

Life Advice / Dear Abby /

DEAR ABBY: My godchildren and I were always very close. They consider me literally their second mom. Until now, we were blessed with great communication. The oldest always sent me a warm Mother's Day greeting and called me often.

About a year ago, she started ignoring all of my overtures. Her younger sister, who is also grown with children, ...Read more

Asking Eric: Young brothers’ skirmish takes an extreme turn

Life Advice / Asking Eric /

Dear Eric: I have two boys ages 8 and 13. In most cases the sibling rivalry is about the same as any other family.

One late evening, I picked them up at the dance studio and we came home. Everyone was tired (especially ME!) and so they decided to hit the sack. Around 10, I thought I heard muffled whimpering and screeching. Thinking I was just ...Read more

Reader Can't Stop Thinking About Ex-Boyfriend

Life Advice / Sense & Sensitivity /

DEAR HARRIETTE: I recently broke up with my boyfriend, and even though I know it was the right decision, I can't seem to stop thinking about him. We were together for a long time, and he was a big part of my daily life. Now that he's gone, everything feels empty. I keep catching myself wanting to text him, wondering what he's doing and replaying...Read more

Miss Manners' Handy Tips For Saving Seats

Life Advice / Miss Manners /

DEAR MISS MANNERS: What exactly are the rules for saving seats at an informal event where seats are not assigned?

When I was invited to my nephew's martial arts presentation, I arrived half an hour early to save seats for my family of five (three of us were present) because the others were coming from work and couldn't arrive early.

A woman ...Read more

I Left, but Still Want Clarity

Life Advice / Dear Annie /

Dear Annie: I'm struggling to make sense of this situation, but it felt like a red flag.

I started dating a man, and one night out to dinner, we ran into a woman he knew from college and her boyfriend. She seemed nice, and after a brief chat, they left. He briefly told me about her business, I said she seemed cool, and I thought nothing more ...Read more

Woman Doesn't Want To Pay Unemployed Sister's Rent

Life Advice / Dear Abby /

DEAR ABBY: At 63, I am the youngest sister of four siblings. We grew up in the turmoil of Dad's alcoholism and hoarding, as well as physical and emotional abuse from both our parents.

One of my sisters, "June," was sexually assaulted by my brother. She's 71 now and hasn't worked since she was in her early 30s. She supports herself on Social ...Read more

Asking Eric: Coworker’s oversharing derails workday

Life Advice / Asking Eric /

Dear Eric: I love my job but there is another employee there who likes to confide their life stories with me. It makes me upset and uncomfortable. I am a very compassionate person, but these stories are sad and depressing, which upsets my workday.

I try only to listen and not give any feedback. They also have asked for information on how to ...Read more

Boyfriend's Public Proposal Brings Up Doubts

Life Advice / Sense & Sensitivity /

DEAR HARRIETTE: My boyfriend recently proposed to me, and I said no -- not because I don't want to marry him, but because of how he did it. He proposed at a baseball game in front of a huge crowd, and it felt completely wrong for me. I don't even like sports, and he knows that.

I've always dreamed of a more intimate and meaningful proposal, ...Read more

Contagious Illness Is Not Subject To The In-Office Mandate

Life Advice / Miss Manners /

DEAR MISS MANNERS: My company has a return to office four days a week mandate this year. While it's nice to have the in-person camaraderie, co-workers who are conspicuously ill are coming in and spreading their contagion. (My company provides a generous two weeks of "occasional absence," which may be used for sick days, doctor appointments and ...Read more

Running on Empty From Pleasing Everyone Else

Life Advice / Dear Annie /

Dear Annie: I've always been a people-pleaser, and it's wearing me down. My boss, "Mark," constantly asks me to take on extra tasks because he knows I won't say no. Last week, I stayed late three nights in a row to finish a project that wasn't even mine. And it's not just at work, either. My roommate "Rachel" is constantly asking for favors (...Read more

Comedian Brothers' Feud Is No Laughing Matter

Life Advice / Dear Abby /

DEAR ABBY: My husband and I are the parents of three grown sons. Our middle son ("Kurt," age 29) has been in conflict with his younger brother ("Jared," age 26) for more than a year. Kurt started doing stand-up comedy but still works a day job to pay his bills. Jared now has also started doing comedy. We suspect the disagreement started well ...Read more

Asking Eric: ‘Pushy’ in-laws take over family gathering

Life Advice / Asking Eric /

Dear Eric: Recently, it was “assumed” by my husband’s family that we would host a gathering for some out-of-town relatives. We have a better house for entertaining. Everyone brought a side dish, or dessert. I usually have at least one gathering a year for his family. I’m happy to do it. We have a nice dining room, but our table was not ...Read more

Runners Encourage Friend To Train For Marathon

Life Advice / Sense & Sensitivity /

DEAR HARRIETTE: All of my friends are into running, and lately they've been talking about training for a marathon together. They keep encouraging me to join them, saying it would be an amazing challenge, a great bonding experience and something I'd feel proud of accomplishing. The problem is that I hate running. I've never enjoyed it, and I have...Read more

 

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