DEAR ABBY: My friend “Sarah” is married to “Karl,” who emotionally abuses her. My husband and I used to spend a lot of time with them, but we have gradually dropped Karl from our circle because we can’t tolerate the way he treats her. Sarah has asked me not to drop HER because she has […]

DEAR ABBY: I recently ended my 11-year relationship with my high school sweetheart, “Kent.” During the two years we were engaged he had become a cheating, abusive alcoholic. My problem is my mother. She hired Kent while we were together, and he’s still with her. I asked her to let him go, but she refused. […]

DEAR ABBY: I am 12 years old and I have a boyfriend, “Zak.” Since it’s summer, we don’t communicate with each other as much as usual. Most people would think we’d be more in touch, but since we’re both on vacation, we haven’t been. I always text his phone, but most of the time I […]

DEAR READERS: Yesterday I shared some of the emails you sent when “Alison in Ashland, Ore.” asked you to name your heroes. Today I am sharing more. If you have found them to be as uplifting and energizing as I have, at a time when most of the news we read today has been so […]

DEAR READERS: I published a letter (June 6) in which a reader, “Alison in Ashland, Ore.,” asked you to name your heroes. She asked that they not be celebrities or family members. A tsunami of emails descended upon me — many of them moving, thought-provoking and inspiring. I’m sorry that space limitations prevent me from […]

DEAR ABBY: I’m 16 and pregnant. The father of my baby is my stepbrother. It’s my fault because I seduced him when we were home alone. Last night my sister said I need to go on a diet because I’m gaining weight, and she joked that I look pregnant. I don’t think she has any […]

DEAR ABBY: I’m an only child by default. My parents have been married 30 years and had two children. When I was 9 and my sister was 6, we were in a car accident with my mother that resulted in my sister’s death. Her death changed my life in ways I can never explain. My […]

DEAR ABBY: My in-laws have a small dog, “Fluffy,” who has come to rule their lives. That’s OK, because it doesn’t really affect me. However, we frequently have them over for dinner, and they insist on taking home a large portion of whatever meat was served to give to their dog. I’m not talking about […]

DEAR ABBY: I am a 40-year-old man with a baby face. It makes me appear much younger than I am — so much so that I have been carded when buying alcohol or lottery tickets. People also seem to relate to me based on the age they perceive me to be. Four months ago I […]

DEAR ABBY: My fiancee, “Vanessa,” and I have been engaged almost a year. We’re to be married in three months. When I popped the question, I took her to one of her favorite spots in the Smokey Mountains. When I proposed, she was overcome with emotion — but not the kind I would have thought. […]