DEAR ABBY: I received a Facebook message from my first cousin. In it, she apologized for not communicating for the past 10 months. It ended with, “Send me your address so I can send you a birth announcement.” Abby, I wasn’t even aware that she had been pregnant. I contacted her father, who said the […]

DEAR ABBY: We share a vacation home with another family. My husband and I are neat people. The other family is the opposite. They leave dirty dishes in the sink for days, promising, “I’ll get to them.” Dirty diapers are left on the living room floor as well as toys, clothes and stale food. It’s […]

DEAR ABBY: I was dating a man for the past two years. Most of the time, we enjoyed being together. However, sometimes our discussions would turn into heated and hurtful arguments. He would disregard my point of view, ultimately shut me down and make me feel like the disagreement was my fault. After our most […]

DEAR ABBY: A close friend — whom I’ve been urging for years to save for a rainy day — is now facing a very real storm. She was diagnosed with breast cancer and is undergoing treatment. Knowing her financial situation — living paycheck to paycheck despite her and her husband’s high-paying jobs — I felt […]

DEAR ABBY: My husband has a female friend he grew up with. They have exchanged “happy birthday” texts for many years. However, they have recently begun texting more often. An example: One night he was mixing a drink and texted her about whether to use Pepsi or Coke. On his birthday, I watched for her […]

DEAR ABBY: I have an old friend who lives an hour from me. I visit her for the day and come home. I have never invited her to spend the night at my home, nor do I expect her to invite me for a sleepover when I drive down to see her. The last two […]

DEAR ABBY: My friend of eight years has her 55-year-old son living with her. She has been driving a man around who she told me is a friend of her son’s and she knows his family. What she never mentioned is that he’s a registered violent sex offender who was just released from prison. She […]

DEAR ABBY: My brother died of cancer a year ago. During his entire 50-year marriage, I felt bad about the way his wife treated him. She snapped at him and bit his head off from the time they were first married until his death, even while he was dying. Never once did I hear him […]

DEAR ABBY: I have been thinking a lot lately about my first love. The thoughts come and go, which I know is normal. A week or so ago, I stumbled upon her LinkedIn account, saw her profile picture and couldn’t help but reminisce about all the good times we had together 15 years ago. I’m […]

DEAR ABBY: My husband and I have been together for 16 years (eight years married). When we were first married, we had fun. He used to take me out on dates. He knows I enjoy dining and dancing, but it has been years since he invited me out. I have talked to him about this […]