DEAR ABBY: I have a good, if not terribly close, relationship with my adult son and daughter. We speak every few weeks. They live some distance away. There’s no drama, no negative angst between us. My husband and I will soon be celebrating our 60th wedding anniversary. Neither our son nor our daughter has acknowledged […]
Dear Abby
Expat gets the cold shoulder from French natives
DEAR ABBY: I went to college in France. It was my lifelong dream to move here and start my own life in this beautiful country. I succeeded. I married and had a child, but the marriage didn’t work out. My son, who is now 8, has spent his whole life here. He fits in. He […]
Husband fondly idolizes old girlfriends to wife
DEAR ABBY: My husband and I have been married for 40 years, and we’ve had our ups and downs. My problem is, he frequently talks about the girls he knew before me. He describes them all in glowing terms — gorgeous, perfect body, beautiful hair, well-endowed and on and on. It makes me feel self-conscious […]
Living at boyfriend’s house requires dealing with dad
DEAR ABBY: I live with my boyfriend and his father. I moved in two years ago to help them pay bills so they could keep living in the house my boyfriend grew up in. But the situation has become unlivable. My boyfriend’s father is rude, racist and self-centered. It doesn’t matter that we are struggling; […]
Colleague’s cancer fight waged in different manner
DEAR ABBY: My husband was diagnosed with advanced chronic leukemia seven years ago. After two rounds of chemo, he was better for a while but was diagnosed with advanced multiple myeloma a year ago. He has been through almost constant chemo and radiation, lost more than six inches of height due to osteoporosis and fractures, […]
Wedding plans clouded by young man mental illness
DEAR ABBY: After three years together, my fiance and I plan to be married next year. While we have the usual couples’ things going on, one concern is making me consider postponing the wedding or ending the engagement. My fiance has a son whose mental illness led him to withdraw from high school at 16. […]
Middle schooler finds it hard to make new friends
DEAR ABBY: My daughter is in eighth grade at a small private school. The problem is, she doesn’t have any friends there. Away from school she makes friends easily. But around classmates she has known for years, she’s quiet and awkward. She isn’t invited to parties or other fun activities. She wants to make friends […]
Teen fears siblings bullying about her sexual orientation
DEAR ABBY: I am a teenage girl who has recently discovered I am bisexual. I told a few close friends, and I’m happy to say they have accepted me. Nothing has changed. I have not told any of my family yet. I know my parents will support me, but the problem is two of my […]
Couple mending relationship eye speed bump on the path
DEAR ABBY: I’ve been in a long-term relationship with my boyfriend, “Mack,” for about 25 years. Eleven years ago we became more like roommates. I asked him to go to couples counseling, but he adamantly refused. He said, “If you don’t like it, find someone else.” Long story short, I began an affair with an […]
Line in the sand of sons’ habit of dropping by
DEAR ABBY: In our 20 years of marriage, my wife’s two sons have frequently stopped by or called ahead with literally 10 minutes to a half-hour’s notice. It usually happens around mealtime, when we aren’t prepared for feeding multiple people. I plan every meal in advance, and would welcome them to visit with a little […]