ArcaMax

The ongoing battle to hold on to our hard-earned personhood while in a love relationship demands self-confidence and self-awareness. But what about encouraging your beloved to also be an individual? What about having the maturity (hate the word) and wisdom (a much better one) to grant them -- nay, encourage them -- to own breathing space to be ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I'm 32 years old, and I still don't have my driver's license. This has always been a sensitive issue for me, and while I know it's unusual at my age, I just don't feel comfortable driving. My family has been patient over the years, helping me get around whenever I need it, but lately, they've been vocal about their frustrations. ...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: My wife and I host an annual holiday dinner for a group of neighbors, one of whom has asked in the past if he could bring a guest. My wife, on our behalf, has always said yes.

Unfortunately, the guest is usually the neighbor's on-again/off-again boyfriend, who is best described as obnoxious. During dinner, our neighbor ...Read more

Dear Annie: As a wife, mother of three and a full-time program manager overseeing a crisis unit, I juggle a lot of responsibilities. Despite my busy schedule, I find myself having to be the one to initiate contact with my husband's side of the family. If I didn't, we would likely never see them. Maintaining family connections is important to ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I've been living with someone for four years. When we started living together, his son "Byron" was incarcerated. Byron is 33 and has been in trouble since he was 15. His dad keeps bailing him out. I used two of my credit cards to help raise the $11,000 bail to get him out of jail. In exchange, Byron agreed to put on a new roof for us ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: My 20-year-old daughter recently got her cosmetology license and has started working at a salon. She's excited about her new job and the independence it brings, but now she's telling me she wants to move out and get her own apartment. She says she's ready for the next step and wants her own space to feel more "grown-up." The ...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I am hosting Thanksgiving dinner this year for about 25 people. Most are traveling in from out of town. I have expressed that people do not need to bring anything, and I mean it.

I've gotten negative reactions from people who say I'm not being helpful. Is part of being a good host providing ideas for what everyone can bring? ...Read more

Dear Annie: I'd love your perspective on an issue I'm having with my adult daughter, who lives in another state. She visits every Christmas for several days but refuses to stay overnight at my home. She claims my guest room is too cluttered and noisy, or she offers other excuses for not staying. Instead, she rents an Airbnb for part of her ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I have been with my girlfriend, "Kim," for a year and a half. We are both in our 40s and very independent. Her mother struggles with our relationship because we are two women. She has told Kim our relationship is an embarrassment for her. She didn't know her daughter is a lesbian until we began seeing each other. Kim's mother has said...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I know that gadgets are relevant today, but they can be harmful to our health, especially for our kids. I am trying to figure out how to balance this by giving my 4-year-old daughter just one hour of screen time each day. However, she sometimes exceeds this limit because I get busy and don't monitor her usage as closely as I ...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: My 4-year-old daughter has a June birthday, and we have a party for her with family every year. Due to her birthday being in the busy summer season, my brother and his family have not ever been to her birthday party.

They do not acknowledge her with a phone call, a card or a gift. This bothers me, as I think she is a ...Read more

Dear Annie: I have complex feelings about my family, which may come across as harsh, but I feel it's important to explain. They exhibit behaviors that I find troubling, such as a tendency to rely on the more successful members of the family for support without taking accountability for their own circumstances. In their view, refusing to help ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I had my four children by the time I was 24. My oldest is a senior, while my others are a sophomore, eighth grader and a seventh grader. I feel, at times, that I go through a grieving process more now than ever as they are getting older and time is racing by so incredibly fast.

Is it normal to feel sadness and grief over your ...Read more

I was inhaling a chicken sandwich and watching TikToks at the truck stop before a meeting. My car was off and the windows rolled down a crack. A lady in a car pulled up next to me. She repeatedly shouted hello as I fumbled to restart my car to roll down the window.

She was older and smiling, holding a square sandwich with one hand and the other...Read more