ArcaMax

DEAR HARRIETTE: Three years ago, I had a falling-out with a woman who, at the time, had been my best friend for eight years. Our friendship was one of those rare, deep connections that felt more like family than just friends. We went to the same college, were in each other's weddings and spent so much time together that we'd see each other at ...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I was active-duty military, eligible to shop in the commissary, where goods were somewhat less expensive than at a civilian market. My pay was also less than the equivalent civilian profession.

A civilian mom who lived upstairs from me once sent her child to ask me for a can of tuna. I supplied them with a can of albacore ...Read more

Dear Readers: Hope you are all having a lovely fall. Please see below some poems that help embrace the season.

"The Wild Swans at Coole" by William Butler Yeats

"The trees are in their autumn beauty, / The woodland paths are dry, / Under the October twilight the water / Mirrors a still sky; / Upon the brimming water among the stones / Are ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I'm a woman in my early 20s, and I have been dating my man for two years. I love him dearly and want to spend the rest of my life with him. He plans to propose before the end of the year, and we plan to be married next year.

Sex with him is fabulous. However, I have a very active libido (probably similar to that of a teenage boy), ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: My husband and I live in Wisconsin and are fortunate to own a second lakeside property. Over the years, we've extended invitations to various loved ones, offering them the chance to stay and enjoy the lake. Recently, my husband's close friends asked if they could spend a weekend at the cabin with their family, and we said yes. ...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: What is the proper response when a casual acquaintance tells you that they have been diagnosed with a very serious illness?

This is a person I have no connection to or interest in getting to know better. We merely pass each other in our building while picking up the mail or going to the parking lot.

My reply, as I was ...Read more

Dear Annie: I have a daughter who hasn't spoken to me for almost 20 years, though she still maintains contact with her father. My husband and I have been married for 40 years, but our relationship has been extremely difficult for me. I've felt trapped in the marriage because I worked as an aide in a classroom, earning about $20,000 a year, and...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I chaired an event with a local service organization. Many hours were exhausted with planning and decorating. During the program, a few members playfully started throwing some items from the centerpieces at the guest speakers. By the end of the program, most of the room's centerpieces were dismantled and on the floor.

My committee ...Read more

DEAR READERS: I am claiming this space to celebrate my mother -- and, in turn, all mothers in our lives.

Today, my mother turns 95 years old. When I spoke to her a few days before her birthday, she said, "Well, this is not as far as my mother." Her mother, Carrie Elizabeth Alsup Freeland, a woman who stood a strong 4'9" tall, lived powerfully ...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: Is it appropriate for my daughter-in-law to say to me, "Why don't you ask us what we want, rather than just getting something that we may not want or use?"

I was offended, because I thought gift-giving was the giver's choice. Otherwise, it feels like the recipient is just placing their order with me. Offensive!

GENTLE READER...Read more

Dear Annie: I read your column every day, and I read with great interest the letter from the wife whose husband had an affair 20 years earlier. She was bitter that none of her friends told her about it.

I found myself in a similar situation, only I was the friend, and I DID tell her that her husband was cheating on her. This was 35 years ago.

...Read more

DEAR ABBY: Our friend "Carrie" revealed to our close friend group that for the last few years she has been having an affair with her best friend "Julia's" husband. Their kids are best friends, and they spend a lot of time together, even taking family vacations.

We have told Carrie many times how this can affect the kids, which she acknowledges,...Read more

We all want consistency, clarity, and conviction from leaders and movements we support. But in practice, chasing ideological purity can become a trap, leaving no room for the ambiguity, complexity, and compassion a functioning society needs. Ideological purity assumes people and ideas are simple, that we can shove ourselves into neat boxes of "...Read more