DEAR ABBY: I have a friend from college I’m really close to, but they have begun an annoying habit I need help addressing. We live more than 1,000 miles apart, and over the past six months, I’ve noticed that my friend has been giving me unsolicited advice on daily tasks that don’t concern them. At […]
Dear Abby
Dad encourages teen to drink before heading to college
DEAR ABBY: My parents have been divorced since I was little, but I still visit Dad often, especially now that I’m fully vaccinated. What’s causing the problem is I am leaving for my first year of college. Dad has been offering me alcohol while I’m at his house. I would be lying if I said […]
Family’s help with child care comes at a cost
DEAR ABBY: I am a mother of four (soon to be five) young children. It is exhausting. My husband helps as much as he can, but sometimes we both need a break. My parents offer to watch the kids. The problem is, my parents and I have opposite political and world views. Sometimes they’ll say […]
Married matchmaker tries to sink resulting romance
DEAR ABBY: I have been friends with “Carolyn” since grammar school. We are in our early 40s now. She’s married; I’m divorced. Two years after my divorce, she introduced me to a nice man I’ll call “Don.” Don and I have grown closer. He recently told Carolyn how he feels about me and that he […]
Woman plants thick roots in married son’s home
DEAR ABBY: Ten years ago, my friend “Maureen” suffered a breakup that emotionally and financially devastated her and moved in with her son and his young family. Since then, she has recovered in both areas. Maureen inserts herself into every aspect of their lives — vacations, entertaining, etc. When they go out to eat, she […]
Young woman feels pressure to be ‘perfect’
DEAR ABBY: My name is “Lucia,” I am 15 and I live in Santa Catarina, Brazil. My high school classmates and I saw a letter from “Needs a Direction, Atlanta” online. That’s why I’m asking for some advice from you. Here in my country, there is a lot of awareness about female power and body […]
Birth mother reconnects with biological son
DEAR ABBY: When I was an unmarried 18-year-old, I had a child out of wedlock. Unsure that I could provide for him, I chose to place him for adoption so he would have a chance for a better life. This year, we connected through DNA. The reunion has been great, even though I choose to […]
Lonely divorcee discouraged by a return to ‘normalcy’
DEAR ABBY: After my divorce 15 years ago, I moved 800 miles away to be near my only family — my older sister — at her request. We are close and talk on the phone every day, but do nothing together because she’s always busy and active with her partner of 50 years and their […]
Childhood memories lead to conflict
DEAR ABBY: My sister, who had epilepsy as a small child in the 1970s, now uses her disease as a weapon against the rest of the family. I am at my wits’ end about what to do about the way she mistreats our 83-year-old mother. She no longer is treated for epilepsy, and her childhood […]
Former drug user looks for a way out of toxic relationship
DEAR ABBY: I’m a 39-year-old woman in a toxic relationship with my boyfriend of almost seven years. We had a child together but lost custody due to drug use during my pregnancy. Even though we don’t have our son, and he treats me badly, I feel I have to stay with him because we have […]