DEAR ABBY: A childhood friend of mine died from cervical cancer. “Katy” died because she didn’t go to her OB/GYN for annual pap smears. She was a beautiful, intelligent, talented wife and mother who was responsible in every other way. Katy simply couldn’t face a pelvic exam because throughout her childhood she had been molested […]

DEAR ABBY: Helping a parent or other adult relative handle their finances and health care can be a challenging gift to give. You want to honor their wishes and respect their boundaries, while at the same time acting in their best interest. But it can be hard to know where to begin and whom to […]

DEAR ABBY: May I sit in your chair and give some advice today? It’s aimed at men who place ads on dating sites and then wonder why they can’t meet “quality” women. I’m an educated, decent-looking, middle-aged widow who has dated quite a lot through such ads and local social groups. Yes, it can be […]

DEAR ABBY: Lately I have been having problems with my live-in boyfriend, “Ethan.” We fight about everything, and he refuses to admit when he’s wrong. Ethan has been sleeping on the couch for a week waiting for me to take the first step and reconcile. He isn’t working and I am, and that is probably […]

DEAR ABBY: I’m a 14-year-old girl and I need my own bedroom. Ever since I was born, I have shared a room with my 17-year-old sister. Maybe it was OK when we were younger, but now it is impossible. It’s crowded and annoying. I have no privacy, and I can’t decorate it how I want. […]

DEAR ABBY: I’m a married father with a son 19 months old, and a baby girl on the way. While I couldn’t be more excited about my daughter’s impending arrival, I’m unsure about whether there is a right time to stop doing things like changing a diaper or seeing my daughter unclothed because she’s a […]

DEAR ABBY: My girlfriend and I live next to a married couple our age we have befriended. Unfortunately, the husband has been making unwanted advances toward my girlfriend. Being friendly with them both, we have kept it to ourselves so as not to hurt the wife. She’s ill and has been in and out of […]

DEAR ABBY: I’m a twice-divorced woman who found my present husband late in life. I’m in my early 60s, and my husband is in his 70s. We married quickly because I didn’t want to be alone in life and I thought I loved him. My husband works while I stay at home because of a […]

DEAR ABBY: As the executive director of the Hearing Loss Association of America, may I suggest that “Mortified at the Dinner Table” (March 2), who wrote about her in-laws’ poor hearing even with hearing aids, connect with one of our 200-plus local HLAA chapters at www.hearingloss.org? These member-led groups offer emotional support, camaraderie, communication strategies […]