ArcaMax

Dear Eric: My 35-year-old daughter “Mary” and I were very close in her early 20s, after she emerged from troubled teen years of substance abuse and self-destructive behaviors. She continues to stay clean and sober, with a successful career.

But several years ago, things went sideways between us. Everything I said made her angry. I’m ...Read more

Dear Eric: When my daughter married 25 years ago, both she and her husband decided to go vegan. My husband and I respected and fully supported them. After all, we had raised her on meals cooked from scratch out of natural ingredients and saw veganism as a move in an even purer direction.

Sure, it was hard to ditch the turkey at Thanksgiving and...Read more

Dear Eric: I am in a predicament with my older sister. My mother passed away a few years ago, before getting her assets in order. This resulted in my sister gaining access to the majority of my mother's assets. My sister has lived in the family home for much of her life, most recently since 2010. She feels it is hers, but she has never had a ...Read more

Dear Eric: I'm not sure how to feel. I have been married for 37 years. About 43 years ago my husband (who was not my husband then) had a one-night hookup. The woman is now with my husband's brother. It is very uncomfortable and awkward for him and me.

I don't feel right being in the same room with her. We have decided not to attend family ...Read more

Dear Eric: I have been married nearly 35 years. We and my husband’s family all live a few blocks from each other.

My husband’s father passed away a year ago. My husband coordinated a family outing to the beach for Father’s Day. We found out that his brother hosted his mother and sister for a barbecue down the block after the gathering. We...Read more

Dear Eric: This is probably an odd question. A very large percentage of the time, more than 50 percent, when I come home from being out (lunch/shopping/whatever), my husband is in the restroom. The powder room is right next to his office and sometimes I’ve tried to open the door, and it’s locked, which seems odd since he’s the only one in ...Read more

Whether you're navigating first-date logistics or attempting to decide dating app behavior, dating today comes with a thousand tiny decisions that can leave you second-guessing.

I get these kinds of questions all the time, so here’s a roundup of real scenarios — with my unfiltered takes — on how to handle them. Spoiler: None of these ...Read more

Dear Anna,

After 12 years of marriage (17 together), I (38F) am ready to end things with my husband (40M). We've had our ups and downs — early struggles when he was unemployed, ongoing imbalance in household responsibilities and communication issues. While I handle most domestic tasks despite earning more, he contributes minimally and seems ...Read more

Dear Eric: I am a 62-year-old woman who recently relocated to her hometown in the Midwest from the East Coast, after 40 years. I have a wonderful network of friends here, whom I’ve known practically my entire life.

I’m happier than I could have imagined with my decision to move here.

Something that has become apparent is, while I have a ...Read more

Dear Eric: My estranged niece has a 9-year-old daughter whom we love very much. The father was married with children when she was born and died a few days after.

We strongly feel his parents have a right to know of this fantastic child. Grandniece will eventually seek them out. By letting them know now it should ease the shock of learning later...Read more

Dear Eric: My mom, 75, has been living with me and my husband for five years. One day she said she was selling her house and said she was moving in with me. She had always talked about it, and I told her, when the time came, she could move in as long as she added a room and a bathroom to our small bungalow. She had plenty of money to fund this. ...Read more