Life Advice
/Health
Alcohol Overpowers Love And Reason For Engaged Couple
DEAR ABBY: My fiancee and I have been arguing almost every day. We have been verbally and emotionally hurting each other. I love her very much, but she has a severe alcohol disorder, and I want her to stop drinking. She keeps begging me for money whenever she runs out of her own. She wants me to buy her more alcohol, but I refuse. She has been ...Read more
Parent And Daughter Still Struggle To Find Balance
DEAR ABBY: I haven't had a holiday with my grown daughter, "Charly," since she left the state 12 years ago. When she came out as a lesbian, I wasn't very accepting and didn't handle it well. I have since apologized.
Charly and her partner refuse to visit here unless I allow them to share the same bed in my house. I say they can't tell me what ...Read more
Readers Respond To Writer Who Refuses To Dye
DEAR ABBY: Regarding "Silver Girl in New York" (Jan. 5), whose husband is making her feel less loved because she decided to not color her hair anymore, this is her decision to make, not his. He needs to grow up.
You advised her to wear a red wig when he is feeling amorous. What were you thinking? So, she is supposed to be uncomfortable in her ...Read more
Wife Values Gambling Over Her 10-Year Marriage
DEAR ABBY: The woman I've been married to for the last 10 years is spending her time away from home. She isn't seeing another man or hanging out in bars. She leaves at any time of the day and goes to the casino. She also plays online throughout the day or evening. She stays out all night until sometimes 8 or 9 o'clock the next morning.
I have ...Read more
Mother Dumps All Of Her Problems In Teen's Lap
DEAR ABBY: Ever since I was a child, my mom has regarded me as wise, thoughtful and intelligent. She has confided about family issues, tensions at church and cheating at her workplace. Abby, I don't want to be her confidant. Am I doomed to always hear her never-ending problems? She creates them herself by jumping to conclusions and suspecting ...Read more
A Clash Of Attitudes Tears At Blended Family
DEAR ABBY: My stepdaughter, "Allie," (whom I've raised as my own since she was 2), has banned my 39-year-old daughter's 19-year-old girlfriend "Taylor" from coming to her house for the holidays. She dislikes that Taylor is 20 years younger than her sister. Because of this, I decided to celebrate the holidays at my house instead of hers.
My ...Read more
Friend Abruptly Cuts Off Complaint About Feeling Sick
DEAR ABBY: I've known "Bianca" since high school. She's my neighbor and godmother to my son. I consider her a sister, and we travel and spend holidays together. Our families get along well.
A month ago, my body started aching all over. I have been feeling sick, and my doctor is trying to figure out what's wrong with me. One day, Bianca and I ...Read more
Starstruck Father Can't Play It Cool Around Celebrities
DEAR ABBY: I am a 55-year-old father of a 7-year-old child. My social skills and experience are rusty due to graduate school and post-graduate training years (12 years, to be exact) without much social interaction. I believe I missed an opportunity to bond with our 7-year-old.
Five years ago, my wife and I ran into a Hall of Fame ballplayer. I ...Read more
'Relationship' Involves Sending Money In One Direction
DEAR ABBY: I have been in a text relationship for nearly a year. I call it a text relationship because we communicate solely through texting. Because I'm not a video chat person, it doesn't bother me that we don't Zoom. Additionally, the few times he has tried to contact me via video, we just don't seem to connect.
Even though our communication...Read more
Grandparents Fear For Toddler's Safety In Unsanitary Home
DEAR ABBY: Our son and his girlfriend had our first grandchild 18 months ago. We helped them move out of their rental house before the baby was born and buy a cute little house, which we made sure was in good shape before they moved in. (They had ruined the rental property with a couple of cats they had and their refusal to clean it at all.) We ...Read more
Daughter's Estrangement Brings More Questions For Parent
DEAR ABBY: A few years ago, my daughter went "no contact" with both sides of our family -- grandparents, parents, aunts and uncles, as well as cousins. Since then, I have been struggling with how I should answer acquaintances who ask, "How is she doing?" as well as those who ask, "Do you have children?"
I have been told by friends and family ...Read more