ArcaMax

Dear Annie: I'm writing because I feel embarrassed even admitting this, but I'm starting to dread parts of my own life that I worked hard to build.

I'm 52, married for 24 years, and we have two grown kids who are mostly launched. Our son is across the country and our daughter lives close enough to drop by for Sunday dinner. I used to look ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: My boyfriend and I have been together for 18 years. Everyone we know thinks we are married, but we never got it on paper. He has always been less empathetic than I would like, and there's a lot of stuff I either had to accept or move on. He never buys me gifts (no matter how much I've told him it bothers me), and it has been a ...Read more

Dear Annie: I'm writing because I can't tell if I'm being too sensitive or if I'm finally seeing something I've been ignoring for years.

I'm 46, married, and we have three kids (two teens and one in college). On paper, our life is good. We're busy, we're stable, we show up for school events and family birthdays. But lately I feel like I'm ...Read more

Dear Annie: I am embarrassed to admit this at my age, but I feel like the kid left out at recess. I am in my late 40s, married with kids, a steady job and a calendar that looks full from the outside. But inside I feel lonely.

I have plenty of "friendly" people in my life. We chat at school pickup, at work, in the neighborhood, and everyone ...Read more

The hot take that floated into my inbox this week was that resolutions are passe. Apparently, thinking about "next year" is outdated. We're in this grind of time and marking it arbitrarily doesn't matter. But, really, we time-travel constantly. It's one of the best things about being human.

We can rehearse future sticky conversations in the ...Read more

Dear Annie: Now that my husband and I are in our 70s, it feels as if our social world has shrunk to the size of a postage stamp. Friends have moved away to be near their children, others are dealing with health issues, and a few have simply drifted off. We used to host dinners, take short trips and enjoy a lively circle. Now the phone barely ...Read more

Dear Annie: I've read plenty about empty-nest depression and how to cope with it, and I managed that stage just fine. I enjoyed my grandchildren and watched them grow into teenagers. But now I'm struggling with something different: how to handle the emptiness of the holidays.

I have two sons. One has always made sure I get time with his ...Read more

Married or not, each of us walks single file through life's landscape, because everyone has a "single" part, our unique individuality -- separate and apart from the crowd. Yet from time to time, we may travel in lockstep, two by two, when someone we like comes nearby and walks with us. Drawn by love's force, this person may stay with us for a ...Read more

Dear Readers: Before we rush into a brand-new year, I want to pause and say thank you. Thank you for reading, for writing in and for trusting me with the parts of your life you don't always share at the dinner table. Thank you for letting this corner of the page be a place where we can talk about the messy, meaningful work of being human. I ...Read more

Dear Annie: Every December, my life starts to feel like one of those "year in review" videos -- only mine looks more like the blooper reel.

Back in January, I sat at my kitchen table with a brand-new planner, a cinnamon latte and all the determination in the world. I even wrote, "This Is Jenna's Year" in big blue letters on the first page. I ...Read more