DEAR ABBY: My sister and I grew up with our father after our parents divorced. He was a hoarder. Years later, when he finally had to move out, it took three moving trucks to empty the two-bedroom house. You can imagine what that was like. I am very triggered by clutter. I appreciate an organized […]

DEAR ABBY: A friend retired, moved and gave me her well-paying, once-a-week job doing industrial cleaning. It pays a sizable chunk of our bills. My husband, who agreed to work with me doing this, gives me a hard time every week by being late. We need to be there after business hours at 5:30 p.m. […]

DEAR ABBY: I recently scheduled a last-minute consultation with my doctor that might result in surgery. My husband has a meeting during that time, which isn’t actually necessary, but he feels he needs to attend. I feel he is choosing a non-urgent obligation over my more immediate concerns. All that said, I am capable of […]

DEAR ABBY: My young adult child came out to us as transgender several months ago. My husband and I, along with her sibling, are supportive and love her unconditionally. She recently decided to share the news with her grandparents, sending a heartfelt email along with a couple of resources specifically for grandparents. One grandparent has […]

DEAR ABBY: I’ve been seeing a man, “Barry,” who worked with my younger brother. They had an altercation at work, and Barry was terminated for misconduct. My brother, “Rob,” is upset with me because I still see him. Barry did reach out to Rob to apologize and see if they could move on. While my […]

DEAR ABBY: My husband and I have been married for two years, together for five. He’s a wonderful man I love dearly. I always felt called to be a mother, and he has expressed the same about being a father. He would be an incredible father, and I’d love nothing more than to raise children […]

DEAR ABBY: My husband and I retired a few years ago to a neighborhood where most of the residents are our age, and we have become friendly with the widow next door. My husband and I help her out with any minor home issues she runs into and some light gardening. We are happy to […]

DEAR ABBY: Should I be mad at the father of my unborn child for not coming with me to travel out of the country? My cousin is being married in Mexico. However, my partner, “Gabriel,” isn’t going because one of his good friends is getting married the same weekend. We found out only recently that […]

DEAR ABBY: My sister has a squawky bird she insists on keeping alongside the dinner table when she invites guests for dinner. Its ear-piercing screeching inhibits guests’ ability to carry on normal conversation, so I asked her if, in the future, she could please put the bird in another room during dinner. She responded that […]

DEAR ABBY: I’m a single man, and have been for 15 years. A year ago, I met a guy, “Josh,” and we fell in love. He lived 240 miles away. A month ago, he transferred his job to my city and moved in with me. (I supported this 100%.) I had sown my wild oats […]