ArcaMax

I had a frilly pink dress in second grade that I only wore a handful of times. There are some photos of me striking some sharp poses in our backyard, but after I outgrew that dress, I didn't follow up with any similarly typical frilly costumes of girlhood. As I grew, I went with comfort over style for a long time -- and some might say even to ...Read more

Dear Annie: I'm really struggling with how to handle my daughter's relationship. She's in her early 20s and is smart, funny and ambitious. I'm so proud of her. But I just can't seem to get behind her boyfriend.

He's not unkind, but he's ... aimless. He can't seem to hold down a steady job, he leans on her emotionally (and sometimes ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I have a full-time job and am in pretty good health. I have one son, "Brian," who is married and has three children. My problem is that my son is often rude to me. I was a single mom who raised him on my own. I thought I was a pretty good mother. His wife is super sensitive to any comment I make and finds fault with almost anything I ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I'm working as a nanny for a family I really enjoy. The position has been a good fit. The child is wonderful, the hours are manageable and I've developed a positive relationship with the rest of family. However, there's one issue that's starting to create some stress for me: Part of my responsibilities include driving the child ...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: When serving a steak, the server will often say something along the lines of, "Please cut into the center to make sure it's cooked the way you want it."

At a business dinner of around 20 people, I was rather rudely corrected for doing so by someone who thought I was about to commence eating before everyone's entree had been ...Read more

Dear Annie: I have a job I love, but I'm at risk of losing it because I'm lazy and I procrastinate. My job is mostly autonomous, which makes it a little too easy to put things off and not work hard -- but now it's catching up to me.

Do you have any advice on how I can become a harder, more proactive worker before it's too late? -- Lazy in ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: My husband's 50th birthday (we're both men) is approaching, and I wanted to have a surprise party for him. His family, my family and the two of us all live in different states on the East Coast. I thought a compromise would be to have the party in New Jersey (halfway) on a Saturday. I even offered to rent an Airbnb for the weekend, ...Read more

DEAR HARIETTE: I'm currently caught in a battle between my sister and my wife. My sister is getting married soon and, unfortunately, does not want my wife to attend. My sister has always been rather protective or defensive of me, but about a year ago, after taking a trip together, my sister decided that she thinks my wife is self-centered. At ...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: My daughter was married this past weekend. She originally invited her maid of honor, "Sophie," without a plus-one because my daughter was unaware of any relationship. Sophie complained and asked for a plus-one so that her boyfriend, Sam (whom my daughter had never met), could attend with her. Sophie's parents were also not ...Read more

Dear Annie: I'm struggling with how to move forward after my adult daughter, "Rachel," cut me off two years ago. We used to be close. I raised her as a single mom after her father left, and we leaned on each other through a lot. Things started to change after she got married. Her husband, though polite, has always kept a distance from me. I ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: My dear friend, "Sandra," is married with two children. She and her husband have a 4-year-old son together and another son from her husband's first marriage who is 14. The 14-year-old's life is tough, much like Cinderella's. Sandra treats him very badly. She has him doing all of the housework in their home, belittles him constantly ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: My family and I are gearing up for our annual family vacation. My oldest child is in a relationship and has been badgering me about wanting to bring his girlfriend. I would prefer not to bring her along on an intimate weeklong trip because I feel that her clothing can be rather revealing, and she doesn't seem shy about PDA. I ...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I needed to have the washer and dryer replaced in my apartment, and two maintenance workers showed up to do the work around breakfast time.

I usually make breakfast for my husband before he heads to school, but I felt uncomfortable cooking for the two of us without offering anything to the maintenance men who were there.

So ...Read more

Dear Annie: I am concerned that my wife has given up on life and there is nothing I can do to help.

For background, I am a 67-year-old man, and my wife is around the same age. We married about 20 years ago, and she was able-bodied and working.

She has multiple health issues. She is at high risk for cardiovascular problems, based on family ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: My father's wife, "Carole," loves to thrift-shop. She enjoys hunting for a good deal, particularly if she can find things for our 5-year-old daughter, "Liana." It's sweet how excited she gets when she brings over a pile of new clothes.

The problem is, Carole has really different taste than my husband and I do, and most of her ...Read more

Let's take a summer break from the usual, same-old (yawn) essay format and sprinkle some questions about living together as a lifestyle choice and (quite possibly) rebellion against marriage. My nationwide survey saw it coming, this fast-growing option, but no one could have predicted its overwhelming numbers. As it turns out, this extra-legal ...Read more