ArcaMax

DEAR HARRIETTE: My 12-year-old daughter is going through a phase where she feels like she has to match everything her friends do, what they wear, what they eat, the shows they watch, the hobbies they're into, etc. She constantly compares herself to them and puts so much pressure on herself to fit in, to the point where she won't even try ...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: What is your opinion on handkerchiefs? I prefer them to tissues.

I have seen brides, at weddings that cost thousands of dollars, crying into wadded-up tissues. If they really find it so disgusting to reuse a soiled handkerchief, they could invest a few dollars in a multi-pack and get a fresh one each time. Also, I believe ...Read more

Dear Annie: My younger sister and I used to be incredibly close. We talked every day, shared everything and supported each other through some of the hardest times in our lives, including the loss of our mom. But over the past two years, she has pulled away, and I feel like I do not even know her anymore.

It started when she began dating her ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I am a mother of three girls, 25, 21 and about to be 15. My youngest has always lived with me. Her father and I separated when she was 1. They always had a good relationship. Over the last couple of years, after he moved to another state and married, our co-parenting relationship has changed for the worse.

My youngest has always ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: My apartment lease ends in late July, and a few of my roommates have already moved out. While I appreciate that they cleaned out their individual rooms nicely, they left a ton of their unwanted belongings scattered throughout the common areas, and they abandoned random kitchen items, food and things they clearly didn't want to ...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I remember growing up, when we had visitors who were new to our house, my mother would give them the "grand tour." I now do that with all of my first-time visitors.

I have, however, noticed that nobody else does this when I am a first-time visitor -- making my initial query about the bathroom a little awkward.

Did people ...Read more

Dear Annie: I've been in a long marriage. In the early years, we had happy times, but things have changed. For a while now, I've been enduring emotional, psychological and verbal abuse from my husband. He often makes humiliating comments about me in front of others. When I try to call him out, he says I'm too sensitive or claims he was just ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I have hemifacial spasm (HFS), a relatively rare disorder characterized by random and uncontrollable spasms on one side of the face. HFS can sometimes be alleviated through surgery and/or treated with Botox injections. HFS makes social contact challenging when the face contorts for no apparent reason, sometimes with accompanying ...Read more

There once was a village with two houses.

The first house always kept an extra chair at the table. Not for anyone in particular, just in case. A neighbor, a traveler, a soul in need of soup. None of the chairs were especially decorative; they all had a place at the table's edge. And if someone new sat in one or the other, the host never asked ...Read more

Dear Annie: I have always felt like the odd one out in my family. I love them deeply, but I cannot ignore the quiet, persistent feeling that I do not quite belong. My two younger brothers, "Tom" and "Michael," are close with each other and with our parents, especially our mom. They talk every day, go on trips together and always seem to be in ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I am a woman in my mid-20s who has had only abusive, toxic and horrendous relationships after entering adulthood. Since high school, I have spent years trying to find a "good guy" who will treat me with respect and love me unconditionally.

I made a friend online two years ago who I began recording music and podcasts with. He lives in...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: A couple of months ago, I moved from Spain to the United States with my husband and our daughter. We settled in Los Angeles after we had done what we thought was careful planning. We saved up what felt like a substantial amount of money and assumed it would give us a good cushion while we adjusted and got settled. Reality has hit...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I'm an adult with physical and emotional disabilities, and I live with my caregiver. I have an older friend who is a very sweet person with good intentions, but I feel like she doesn't really understand my needs.

Among other things, I have a catheter and use a wheelchair. She often says she wants to "take me out on the town" ...Read more

Dear Annie: I might be in love with my sister-in-law. Or to put it more accurately, I think I might be in love with my deceased wife's sister. I'm not sure if we're still truly in-laws anymore.

My wife died in a car accident three years ago. Our son was only 11 months old, so he won't remember his mother. My in-laws (both of her parents) and ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I was once a stay-at-home wife. I did all the cooking, housekeeping, etc. Due to a downturn in the industry where my husband was a highly paid executive, he returned to a health-care career using his bachelor's degree. I returned to work in a well-paying but demanding job.

So now I cook, we eat. He sits down to watch TV, and I clean ...Read more