DEAR ABBY: After 19 years of marriage, my husband left me for a younger woman. I found out later that they had been dating for several years. They moved in together immediately after our separation, and she was pregnant at the divorce hearing. They had a baby boy eight months later. At every event with […]

DEAR ABBY: On Oct. 19 you printed a letter from “Bruised and Abused,” a man who is dating a woman who becomes physically violent when they argue. I know this is a touchy subject. I have heard from authorities that about half of domestic violence occurs when a woman throws the first blow. Most women […]

DEAR ABBY: I’m a 25-year-old guy with a unique problem. My father has been dating a woman since I was 16 who has a daughter my age named “Emma.” Over the years Emma and I became good friends — then more than that. We hooked up a few times. About a year ago, I told […]

DEAR ABBY: I have been married for 13 years to a good guy who is a great dad. We have two boys, ages 9 and 11. The problem is, we don’t communicate. We hardly have sex and we don’t get along at all. I feel like I have sacrificed physical and emotional intimacy so my […]

DEAR ABBY: My boyfriend and I have been living together for nine months. We have decided to host Christmas dinner at our house and invited 20 people — 10 from each of our families. His mother, unfortunately, is having a hard time accepting that her 27-year-old son is growing up. She says she feels “awkward” […]

DEAR ABBY: My mother, Eleanor, passed away last Aug. 30. She spent her long life helping others. During her eulogy, I described her by saying, “Her best lesson, the one she modeled for us, is that a selfless life devoted to family and others, is the highest example of God’s work here on Earth.” After […]

DEAR ABBY: I’m an 18-year-old male living on my own in an apartment not far from my parents’ home. They visit me often and take turns driving me to the local college because I don’t have a car. My parents tend to worry about me. I’m rather thin, but I eat healthy. My dad goes […]

DEAR ABBY: My fiancee said, “Shut UP!” during a recent conversation with my mom, using the phrase in the same way people say, “No way!” or, “Get outta here!” to express friendly disbelief. Mom didn’t say anything and gave me no reason to believe she was offended; however, I find talk like that better suited […]

DEAR ABBY: “Saddened in New Jersey” (Oct. 2) complained that her sister’s 4-year-old daughter put stickers on the hands and face of her deceased grandmother during her wake. Perhaps the child’s mother didn’t anticipate her daughter’s actions. Children need to grieve, too. That said, they also should behave appropriately. I saw an article about one […]

DEAR ABBY: I am an educated woman in my late 20s. I have been married for several years to a wonderful man, and we were recently blessed with our first child. Since our wedding, my relationship with my mother-in-law has been an evolving one. Since the inception of “Desperate Housewives” on TV, she seems to […]