DEAR ABBY: I have three kids. One of them, “Jake,” is in his early 20s. He has medical issues, so he has always been babied to a certain degree. Jake has struggled with jobs, drugs, friends and places to live. Somehow, he always ends up back with me. I know I’m an enabler. I have […]
Dear Abby
Woman hopes to convince ex-boyfriend she’s ‘the one’
DEAR ABBY: I’m 29, and my boyfriend is 36. We met on a dating site and were together for three years. He broke up with me two months ago because he didn’t think he could marry me. (We weren’t engaged.) He says I’m the love of his life, soulmate and his dream come true, and […]
Friend’s paranoid behavior raises alarm
DEAR ABBY: How do I tell my friend I feel she needs a mental health evaluation? She has been my closest friend for 20 years, and we have been through many trials together. She has been married for a couple of years to a man who seems very nice. Abby, she is convinced that she’s […]
Husband abandons wife at single table by the restroom
DEAR ABBY: My husband puts everyone first before me. An example: We were invited to his aunt Diana’s 50th wedding anniversary. His father was their best man but couldn’t make it due to illness. So, at the last minute, my husband was asked to sit at the head table with his aunt and her husband. […]
Senior couple deadlocked over decision to downsize
DEAR ABBY: My wife and I are retired seniors. We live in a beautiful two-story house we built 14 years ago. At the time, we thought it would be our final home, but in my opinion, it no longer meets our needs. I want to move and downsize. The problem is that my wife doesn’t. […]
Partner’s text with another woman undermine relationship
DEAR ABBY: My relationship with my partner hasn’t been the greatest, but we are both working on ourselves to become better partners. Recently, I found out he has been texting another female (flirting). He 100% swore to me nothing more has happened besides the texting. He claims he likes the attention. This other woman knows […]
Introvert’s ‘safe haven’ is off-limits to family and friends
DEAR ABBY: How do I politely tell people I don’t like having anyone visit me in my home? My home is my safe haven. The energy of the outside world drains me, and I don’t want that feeling inside my home. This includes family members, friends, neighbors, church family and anyone else who might come […]
Grandpa anticipates a delicate conversation to come
DEAR ABBY: My son just told me his daughter, age 26, is getting breast enhancement surgery. My question is, how do I address that when next I see her, probably in several months? It’s not like commenting on a new hair color or hairdo. Old men commenting on female anatomy, particularly that part, are not […]
Handyman’s janky deck may be hazard to summer visitors
DEAR ABBY: My brother-in-law thinks he is good with his hands. He built a deck on the back of his house, and it’s obvious that he’s not a professional. My husband and I have never sat on his deck because it doesn’t look safe. (Others have said the same thing.) He bragged to me about […]
Father’s past is being used as a weapon in the present
DEAR ABBY: I am a troubled older man. I was married with three children, but I drank too much. My wife and I divorced after 20 years of marriage. We were both flawed. I have been remarried and divorced since. My children grew up, and we had a great relationship. I also had a great […]