DEAR ABBY: I reconnected with my ex-husband, “Liam,” a year ago, 16 years after our divorce. (We hadn’t seen or talked to each other during that time.) He’s remarried with four kids; I am single with two kids. We got married when we were young, but we’re now in our early 40s. We know what […]
Dear Abby
Man wonders how to mention wife as he begins dating
DEAR ABBY: My wife and I have been married for 40 years. Fifteen years ago, she was diagnosed with cancer and given 18 months to live. Well, she is still around. Because of the illness and experimental medications, she was bedridden, and her dementia grew steadily worse. Left with no other options because of problems […]
Food fight results in friendships bitter end
DEAR ABBY: When a friend of mine “makes dinner” for invited guests, it’s either takeout Chinese food or delivered pizza. Frankly, I am sick of it. Last Thanksgiving, they invited me and several others over for dinner. You guessed it! Chinese food. I told my friend I was surprised and not in the mood for […]
Divorced father hopes to reenter daughters life
DEAR ABBY: My ex-wife and I were divorced seven years ago. It was my doing. I had two affairs, the second of which resulted in my current marriage. I have always regretted my actions and the pain it caused, and I vowed to never make that mistake again. My ex is happily remarried, but here’s […]
Man’s crude behavior is a turnoff at home
DEAR ABBY: My 55-year-old husband and I have been married more than 25 years. Our marriage has been challenging, but we now have three adult sons to help succeed in the world, one of whom has a chronic severe health condition. My biggest problem is my husband won’t stop pointing out how much he notices […]
Dad’s behavior compounds grieving teenager’s loss
DEAR ABBY: I am a 17-year-old male whose mom passed away six months ago. From the time I was a small child, she was mean to me and never had time for me, but I never wished her dead. She was mean to my dad as well. Since her passing, Dad has gone crazy about […]
Frequent guest acts more like roommate
DEAR ABBY: A friend recently moved back to his home state. Because he was anxious about leaving, I told him he could stay with me anytime he wanted. I was trying to be nice and calm his nerves, but he has taken me literally and thinks he can come stay whenever he likes. When he […]
Niece still hasn’t paid back loan for legal bill
DEAR ABBY: Several years ago, my adult niece, with whom I am very close, found herself in some legal difficulties and needed an attorney. At the time, due to some medical issues, she wasn’t working and could not afford the attorney’s retainer, so I offered to lend her the money. I told her she could […]
Old friends in new romance adapt to unfamiliar dynamic
DEAR ABBY: I’m in a new relationship with a man I have known for 30 years. We had our own lives, married others, had kids and then split with our spouses. After all this time, we have finally gotten together and discovered we were made for each other. Neither of us has experienced this intense […]
Mans estrangement from son compounded by incarceration
DEAR ABBY: My 38-year-old son is in jail for meth. He’s been an addict for many years. I tried several times to help him, but he always relapsed. He has been in rehab. His mother and I divorced when he was 7. He was a great kid until the divorce. After that, he became distant […]