DEAR ABBY: I have been around “Kendra” since she was 4. I am 59 and not married to her mother, although we are good friends. Kendra is 36 now and has an 8-year-old son. She lives with her boyfriend, who is the father. They are not married. We have a great relationship. For some reason, […]
Dear Abby
Wife endures wild swings in husband’s personality
DEAR ABBY: Eight years ago, my husband of 26 years had a stroke, and his personality changed. He was difficult to deal with, but, with time, his old personality came back, and things got better. Two years ago, he finally kicked a longtime prescription drug habit. Our finances improved almost overnight (for which I am […]
Elderley dad remains behind the wheel despite struggles
DEAR ABBY: I’m struggling to continue my relationship with my dad, who is in his 80s. He recently became very ill and nearly died. He was unable to walk for several months, and when he was finally able to start getting around, it was with a wheelchair and walker. Dad started driving his truck, although […]
Man makes plans with widow neighbor while wife works
DEAR ABBY: A married couple we met six years ago had a vacation house near ours. We became friendly and would have dinners and drinks and hang out together doing various fun activities. Once her husband passed, it was just the three of us. When I’m not in the area of our vacation house and […]
Husband’s stuff isn’t the only thing building up at home
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 […]
Couple has divergent views about punctuality
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. […]
Husband cant be bothered to help with wife’s needs
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 […]
Family members don’t support transgender relative
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 […]
Co-workers fight jolts multiple relationships
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 […]
Wife is now fearful about being pregnant
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 […]