DEAR ABBY: I am a casual reader of your column and saw the June 15 letter from “Lucky Wife of a Hero.” What a refreshing piece it was to read. I know many people write to you with hardships in their lives, but that letter was one of the most uplifting I have read in […]

DEAR ABBY: I am a 46-year-old woman, and I feel as though my life is over. I lost my job more than a year ago and haven’t been able to find another one. I have no friends, and it has been 13 years since I dated. I live day to day, only for my mom […]

DEAR ABBY: My daughter, “Amelia,” recently joined the ranks of a “direct sales force.” She has asked me to make arrangements so she can present her products to my circle of friends. I love Amelia beyond words and would do anything to support her, but I told her that in this instance I felt I […]

Emptiness of man’s apartment unsettles woman DEAR ABBY: I am a 20-year-old student who has lived in an apartment with my current roommate, “Karen,” for 18 months. We get along well. For the past nine months, Karen has been dating a man who has begun spending almost every night in our apartment. So far, I […]

DEAR ABBY: Forty years ago, after accusing our father of taking indecent liberties with her, my sister “Vera” was diagnosed with a major mental illness. She was 17. After many difficult years of hospitalizations, medication and electro-shock therapy, Vera finally accepted her diagnosis and now lives in a board-and-care home nearby. She has never been […]

Wary parents suggest ways to keep kids safe DEAR ABBY: “Lisa in Phoenix” (June 12) questioned whether taking her 7-year-old son into the ladies’ room would be better than having her wait outside the men’s room. You advised her to stand outside the men’s room and announce loudly that she will be “waiting right there.” […]

Daughter complains dad has eyes for girlfriend DEAR ABBY: I was 11 when my father left. I’m 16 now and it is still very difficult for my mom and me. Dad was involved in my life until he met his 28-year-old girlfriend. He’s 54. I have told him I’m not comfortable around her and I […]

DEAR ABBY: My 18-year-old sister, “Cheryl,” left home abruptly a week ago. She suddenly stopped taking all her medications, shut off her cell phone and left town with her underage boyfriend. She is a delightful person who also happens to be diabetic, asthmatic and bipolar. Mom received one phone call (from a landline) mentioning that […]

Father-in-law’s fish story reveals character DEAR ABBY: Two weeks ago, I went on a fishing trip with my father-in-law. It was great. I caught the biggest fish of my life. I kept it so I could have it mounted when I returned home. When we arrived back at my in-laws’, my father-in-law took the fish […]

DEAR ABBY: I know you’re not a beauty consultant, but I’m hoping you can help me. I’m a middle-aged woman with a small income and aging skin. What can a woman who cannot afford cosmetic procedures do about this inevitable problem? My medical insurance will not cover Botox or surgery. A number of celebrities endorse […]