Life Advice
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Asking Eric: Remarried after spouses died, couple is unsure how to re-arrange burial plans
Dear Eric: My wife and I married two years ago. We were both widowed after long happy marriages and feel blessed that we have found each other.
When our first spouses died, they were each interred in different local cemeteries. In each case, the headstones include each surviving spouse’s name, birth year and, of course, no death year (yet!).�...Read more
Parent Concerned By Daughter's Social Media Obsession
DEAR HARRIETTE: My daughter has become consumed by social media and seems to measure her worth by the number of likes and comments she receives on her posts. Initially, she just wanted to learn how to use social media to promote and sell her collections, such as bags and shoes, but it's now affecting her self-esteem. My family and I have noticed...Read more
How Long Must I Watch A Stranger's Laptop?
DEAR MISS MANNERS: I used to frequent a coffee shop in the suburbs, where I would work on my laptop for a couple of hours before catching a train to the city. One day, as I was working, a man asked me to keep an eye on his laptop while he took a phone call outside.
I agreed, as my train would not depart for another 30 minutes and I assumed the ...Read more
When Love and Marriage Don't Align
Dear Annie: I've been dating a wonderful man for three years. He's everything I could want in a partner, and I'm very happy with him. He came out of a long-term marriage that ended in divorce, while I lost my spouse to cancer shortly before we met. For the first year, we kept things casual, but we've been serious about a long-term relationship...Read more
After Three Years Together, Truth Of Early Days Comes Out
DEAR ABBY: I have been with my partner for three years. We met on a dating site but were not able to get together often because of prior plans and vacations we both had scheduled. I have now found out that his prior obligations were with another woman he was seeing.
Before we became intimate, which was six weeks into our relationship, I asked ...Read more
Asking Eric: Sister-in-law didn’t include other family in holiday event
Dear Eric: My family and I will be traveling from California to the UK to visit my husband’s parents with our two kids. During our visit, my husband’s brother, his partner, and their young daughter, will be joining us from Sweden for part of the stay.
We recently found out that my husband’s brother’s partner booked tickets for an event ...Read more
Pet Lover Left With Neighbor's Cat
DEAR HARRIETTE: I really love pets, especially cats, and I always make sure they're well taken care of by taking them to the nearest vet to keep them healthy and safe. Recently, my neighbor asked me to look after her cat for what she said would be a few days, but it's now been four weeks, and she still hasn't returned. While I love animals and ...Read more
My Family-Friendly Party Has Become Free Babysitting
DEAR MISS MANNERS: For the past four years, my wife and I have hosted a New Year's Eve family party at our home. Adults occupy the upstairs, and children (roughly ages 8-13) enjoy themselves in the basement, with frequent parental supervision.
The party now attracts nearly 100 adults and children. Everyone tells us they have a great time and ...Read more
Navigating Marriage and Mental Health Together
Dear Annie: I live with bipolar disorder, which I was first diagnosed with in the early 1990s. My husband and I got together after my diagnosis, and he has been my biggest support through everything -- navigating different providers, raising my children (not his) who also had their challenges and helping me stay stable.
There have been tough ...Read more
Relationship With Mom Has Never Been A Positive One
DEAR ABBY: I am a 43-year-old woman who has struggled with self-esteem and personal relationships my entire life. My fiance and I have talked in depth about past trauma, but it wasn't until within the past year that I've realized how much of an impact my mother had on those aspects of my life.
From as far back as I can remember, she always told...Read more
Asking Eric: Husband’s excessive manners leave wife feeling left behind
Dear Eric: I have an ongoing disagreement with my very polite and well-mannered husband. When we enter a venue together (restaurant, store, etc.), he opens the door/elevator door to let me through and then holds the door open so that at least two or three people and sometimes large groups of people, can walk in ahead of him.
He then follows ...Read more
Eldest Child Defies Family Expectations
DEAR HARRIETTE: I am a 30-year-old woman, and my parents are constantly pressuring me to get married. The truth is, I don't want to -- ever. I've made a conscious decision to focus on my own passions, dreams and personal growth instead of pursuing a traditional path. However, this choice has been met with disappointment from my family, ...Read more
Can I Force My Eco-Agenda On People Via Gifts?
DEAR MISS MANNERS: Over the last two years, I have been making incremental changes to lead a more eco-friendly lifestyle. Is it rude to give eco-friendly or reusable products to family and friends?
For example, my sister started a new job and I would like to give her a set of reusable utensils to eat her lunch with, rather than relying on her ...Read more
Too Young To Hurt?
Dear Annie: I have struggled with several chronic health issues for over a decade, which often leave me fatigued, in pain or struggling with my memory. Yet because of my age (early 20s), I often get laughed off or dismissed if I bring these up.
It doesn't come from my family, friends or close co-workers, thankfully. They are all compassionate...Read more
Husband Has Spent A Year Pretending He Held A Job
DEAR ABBY: My husband and I have been married 10 years and in a relationship for 20. I just found out that for more than a year he has been lying about working. He pretended he had a part-time contracting job and has been using our savings to pass as income from this fictional job.
Over the past year, we made a lot of financial decisions based ...Read more
Asking Eric: Billionaire brother won’t offer help to struggling sister
Dear Eric: I am a 55-year-old female who has a disabled daughter. The father is long gone from the picture. I make a middle income living and could live comfortably if it were not for my disabled daughter. Things go well for a while and then a crisis occurs, and she is back in the hospital accruing large medical bills.
I have one brother, and ...Read more
When Canvassers Come Knocking
Dear Annie: I've been a big fan of your column for years, but I felt that some useful context was missing from a recent response about how to deal with people knocking on doors.
Having worked extensively in political outreach, I understand how frustrating unsolicited visits can be. However, canvassing for elections or other causes is hard ...Read more
Partner Waits For A Proposal That May Never Come
DEAR ABBY: I just turned 29. My partner, "Jeremy," and I have been together for six years and have talked about getting engaged. He set the timeline for an expectation of when he'd propose early on in our relationship -- by "five or 30" (meaning either we've been together for five years or he hits 30). Both of those marks hit last year, and I ...Read more
Asking Eric: Partner’s mother confesses uncomfortable paternity secret
Dear Eric: I live with my partner of two years and his family (mother, younger siblings and mother's boyfriend).
Yesterday, his mother confided in me that the abusive and domineering man my partner knows as his semi-estranged father, is not his biological father. My partner is not aware of this. I'm also not sure if any of his family knows. The...Read more
Roommate Drags Friend Into Conflict With Girlfriend
DEAR HARRIETTE: My roommate and his girlfriend constantly bicker, and I always end up being dragged into the middle of their arguments. It's frustrating because I feel like I'm being forced to pick sides when I don't even want to be involved at all. To make matters worse, I can't help but feel bad for his girlfriend because, frankly, my roommate...Read more
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