DEAR ABBY: My friend “Gene” and I have been friends since elementary school. We’re now in our 50s. We were inseparable best friends all those years. When we were about 30, I started noticing our friendship seemed to be a one-way street because he made no effort to initiate contact. Gene was gracious and inviting […]
Dear Abby
Couple fears for well-being of abused friend and child
DEAR ABBY: My wife’s good friend has had a tough time since her divorce. She started dating this guy off and on a few years ago. After the second breakup, we learned the reason. He was verbally abusive (same as her ex-husband). They eventually resumed living together only to break up again after he threw […]
Grieving man’s new ‘friends’ concern wife of four decades
DEAR ABBY: I have been married for 42 years. Three months ago, I started seeing changes in my husband’s behavior. He had lost two good friends within two months, so I attributed it to that. Then one day, he asked me to look up something on his phone and that’s when I saw text messages […]
Husband likes to get high but keeps lying about it
DEAR ABBY: My husband and I have been married for 10 years, together for 12. We have no children together, but I have four from a previous marriage. Two are grown and have moved out; two are still home and in high school. When we got together, my husband stepped right up and became a […]
Young adult eyes new path for happiness and support
DEAR ABBY: I’m new to the LGBTQ+ community and finding it tough. I’m torn between living a happy life or being around my family, who don’t 100% accept me as bisexual/asexual and involved with a transgender female. My new partner and I are happy together, but my family doesn’t approve that I’m finally feeling happy […]
Husband’s volatile temper worsens after he loses his job
DEAR ABBY: When my husband, “Wayne,” and I were dating 15 years ago, he would occasionally get angry and stalk off or bust a bag of chips, but after I gave him time alone, he’d be back like nothing happened. He always said that episodes such as this were something he was “working on.” After […]
Woman pays high emotional cost trying to help her mother
DEAR ABBY: My mom always catered to my dad when I was growing up. I was left to pretty much raise myself. Their drinking and social life were their priorities. I ended up pregnant at 16 and married to an abusive 21-year-old man, and I was divorced at 17. After that, I was on my […]
Widowed spouse makes plea to all living partners
DEAR ABBY: Today I ironed and folded my late husband’s lucky fishing shirt and placed it into a box going to Goodwill. Continuing with the task, I matched up 14 pairs of my good merino wool socks, most of which had been gifts from him in times that were not so flush. After three months, […]
Gifts given by in-law look awfully familiar
DEAR ABBY: I recently married “John,” the love of my life. I have a great relationship with my mother-in-law, “Sarah.” She and my father-in-law are retired and well-off financially. For each special occasion, John and I thoughtfully select gifts for his parents, and we have spent extra to ensure that our gifts convey our love […]
This brownie recipe comes with its own warning
DEAR ABBY: I have read that you have a sweet tooth. I do, too. That’s why I’m interested in your recipe booklets, particularly if you have included dessert recipes. Which ones do you particularly love? — LOVES IT SWEET IN ANNAPOLIS, MD DEAR LOVES: That’s a tough question. It’s hard to choose just one recipe […]