DEAR ABBY: I reluctantly signed onto Facebook at the urging of my siblings. The problem is, I am now receiving many replies from people I knew back in college and elsewhere saying how glad they are they have found me, how much they have missed me, and that they would like to catch up. It […]

DEAR ABBY: I live down the street from the town cemetery. It contains some old stones from the 1800s that are starting to crumble. This cemetery has become a favorite place for many to walk their dogs or ride their bikes. One woman lets her dog run off-leash and her young daughters play tag around […]

DEAR ABBY: At age 60 my mother ignores basic safety rules. She drives her older model car with the doors unlocked. I have tried explaining that she’s making it easy for a carjacker to gain entry, but she insists “that won’t happen to me.” Mom walks her dog alone at night and leaves her front […]

DEAR ABBY: In the past, I made several seriously awful decisions about guys. I also spent two years in high school off and on with a young man who only made my life dramatic and exhausting. Now that I’m a freshman in college, I have encountered several guys I’d love to have a relationship with, […]

DEAR ABBY: My best friend “Zoe” is unable to have children. She tried in vitro four times without success. The doctors told her there’s nothing else they can do. Her uterus is not able to carry a child to term. Zoe and her husband have decided to adopt. However, it is very expensive and all […]

DEAR ABBY: When I go out to eat with my girlfriends, I usually enjoy myself until it comes time for dessert. Then I get grief if I don’t order any and they do. They’ll say, “Oh, you’re so tiny. You can eat it.” Conversely, if I do order something, they tell me, “Well, I’d love […]

DEAR ABBY: My best friend, “Brianna,” often invites me to big parties at her older friends’ homes. At first I was thrilled because I’m only 15. At the parties I saw some people doing bad things — but I didn’t, at first. Soon, Brianna pressured me into doing some things that I didn’t feel comfortable […]

DEAR ABBY: “Keeping It Real in Laguna Beach, Calif.” (May 27), who is embarrassed by the dialects of his Southern relatives, should learn some Southern hospitality! Yes, we may say “Ma and Pa,” ”y’all,” ”yonder” and “I reckon,” but we would not laugh or be embarrassed if a California relative came to visit. We’d be […]

DEAR ABBY: I loaned money to a couple of family members when I was overseas. They had fallen behind on their bills, so I sent them each $1,000 to get caught up. It’s two years later, and I have yet to see a dime from either one of them. I have sent them both letters […]

DEAR ABBY: I dislike the prevalence of plastic surgery and Botox in today’s society. It sends young people a bad message on body image. My friend “Liz’s” stepmother loudly discussed her own daughter’s nose job, chin implant and “boob job” with Liz’s teenage daughter while at dinner in a public restaurant where everyone could hear. […]