ArcaMax

DEAR ABBY: I caught my husband talking on the phone to another woman. I heard him say, "Get some sleep, sweetheart," and "Thank you for being my companion." When I called him on it, he claimed nothing was happening and he had used the wrong words.

He admitted to whom he was talking, and I called her. She said she was just a friend and had no ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: My husband and I have been arguing a lot all year long, if I am honest. We have had a few screaming matches recently that ended up with me saying it was over unless we could get along better. Miraculously, my husband has been acting nicer -- nothing earth-shattering, but there have been fewer arguments and more pleasantness. ...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I have a close friend who is getting divorced because her husband told her he didn't want to be married anymore. He "wants to be free." Of course, she is devastated.

She has asked my husband and me to join her, her son and the ex for dinner, saying she wants us to see him before he moves. I have already told her that I'm ...Read more

Dear Annie: I am a sister who cut ties with a sibling, and I'd like to offer my perspective on why. Sometimes, family members who choose to disengage have valid reasons for doing so.

In my case, my sister has spent her life using and manipulating others. Her world is full of drama, and she constantly expects our family to rescue her from ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: My 98-year-old mother has spent the last eight years in a nursing home. My siblings and I placed her there when her health declined to a point where it was no longer safe for her to live alone. Her mind is sharp, but she has a hard time getting around and caring for herself. She has made friends there and is loved by everyone who ...Read more

There's a saying you've probably heard a thousand times: "Don't go for the low-hanging fruit." You should avoid the easy, obvious choice and reach higher, stretch yourself, and go for the real challenge. But let's pause for a moment: Why, exactly, are we dismissing this perfectly good, reachable fruit? Have we learned nothing from centuries of ...Read more

Dear Readers: I was so touched by all of the feedback from military families. Thank you for your service, and thank you for sharing some of the responses that you have felt most comfortable with. Below are some examples.

Dear Annie: I absolutely loved your response to "Wondering Vet." As a former military member myself, I also found it ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: My wife continually dirties the floors in our home because she refuses to stop wearing shoes in the house. She'll be out all day -- at work, running errands, etc. -- and then come home and keep her same shoes on. She has even done yard work and then come inside wearing those same shoes!

It's a family trait for her -- her mother does ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I'm in a really tough situation with my mom, who has been going through so much lately. She's on dialysis for six hours four times a week, and she has been waiting for a kidney donor for almost a year now. I just returned from Brazil and found out that I'm a match, and I'm willing to donate my kidney to her. My mom is refusing to...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I participated in a vintage train excursion. At several points in the journey, the engineer stopped the train so that people could disembark to take photos and videos.

During one photo op, some enthusiasts beside me were chatting when a pair of Spielberg wannabes rebuked them, saying, "We're trying to get sound on this shot."...Read more

Dear Annie: My elderly mother bought a house on the West Coast to be near my younger brother and me after my father passed away a few years ago. She had always relied on my father to handle finances and major life decisions, so it's been a difficult adjustment for her to take on these responsibilities herself. Even though she purchased the new...Read more

DEAR ABBY: After a lonely post-divorce decade, I have found a loving man whom I'll call "Drew." We share many of the same interests and values, and are enjoying this second chance at love and romance. We spend time at each other's homes, and my grown kids like having him around.

The challenge is the erratic and angry behavior of his 27-year-old...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I wanted to offer another option to "Overweight," the woman hurt by her brother's comments about her post-pregnancy weight. Could she not go a step further and ask him to babysit for an hour or two a few times a week, so she can have time to herself, to sleep or cook or exercise? Or could he contribute to a healthy meal delivery ...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: Are there polite ways to refuse to participate in a video chat when someone tries to pass a cellphone to you?

My brother-in-law and his wife are extremely involved in their toddler grandchildren's lives and rarely go more than a few hours without contacting them. When we are out with the adults, one of them inevitably whips ...Read more

Dear Annie: I am, I confess, guilty of ghosting a friend. I used to talk to her daily and had meals with her and her child. I explained to her how we communicated differently, and she just never "got it." After she began sending TikTok videos, I just gave up. While I don't want to hurt her feelings, communicating with her makes me anxious. I ...Read more