ArcaMax

DEAR HARRIETTE: I recently went on a date with a man for drinks, and at first I thought I might be interested in seeing him again. We texted briefly after the date, but the more I reflected on our interaction, the more I realized he wasn't the type of man I want to be with. Initially, I planned to stop responding to his messages, but he ...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I am appalled at the current practice on TV home decor shows of placing books with their titles to the wall. It is a huge fad.

I keep waiting for one of the hosts to realize that anyone who actually might read a book would walk into that home and assume the people who live there don't know what a book is for. Your opinion?

...Read more

Dear Annie: I've been happily married for 18 years, and for most of that time I've slept poorly -- but lately it's become unbearable. My husband falls asleep within minutes and snores loudly and steadily through the night. I lie awake listening, nudging him, turning him onto his side, putting in earplugs, rearranging pillows and counting the ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I have been in a relationship for almost two years with an incredible man who makes my heart sing. We are both in our mid-30s. I have three children. He has one whom, for lack of better words, his own parents co-parent.

We are at the point in our relationship where I want to marry, move in together and do the whole family thing. He ...Read more

DEAR READERS: I have worked at the same company for 12 years now, and I was recently promoted into a role that places me above several people who have mentored me in my career. These are colleagues who trained me, advocated for me and helped shape my professional growth, so stepping into a position where I now oversee or outrank them feels weird...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: My husband was invited to go out of town for a "boys weekend" with a couple of his old friends. When he arrived, he was greeted not only by his friends, but also their wives.

Our kids called him several hours after he had arrived, and that is when I discovered that the "boys weekend" was actually a couples' weekend -- sans me...Read more

Dear Annie: I really enjoy reading your column. I have a problem of my own I'd like some help with.

I have two daughters in university. When they're home, they stay in their rooms or maybe talk to friends on the phone. They hardly talk to me. They go back to school and I'm home alone. I really miss them. They come back for the holidays again ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: My husband is battling cancer. He has good days and bad days. He is not at the end, but he can no longer do a lot of things for himself. At this point, we are very busy with doctors and treatments. We have 14 medical treatments this month alone.

His children want to visit from out of town frequently. Of course they want to see their ...Read more

My son's thoughts have a deep influence on my life. His innate wisdom now reaches an audience beyond America -- through YouTube and private sessions -- and is increasingly valued as this world becomes more complex. Consider his words concluding my book "Single File."

"It is quite unusual for the son of an author to write the epilogue for a book...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: My company recently hired a new entry-level colleague to our team, and I am annoyed that I am the one who has to train her. She graduated from college last May, and this is her first job. I understand that she is not expected to know anything, but our work is fast-paced, and it's frustrating to have to slow down for her to take ...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: How can you be responsible for ghosting someone when they never write to you?

Just because I have decided to accept their silence, and return it to them, doesn't mean I don't care. But what is the proper way to say goodbye? It actually seems worse to do it formally.

GENTLE READER: Tell the friend/spouse/child who is goading ...Read more

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 HARRIETTE: My 19-year-old daughter is insecure about how she looks. She cries all the time and blames me for her appearance. I have no clue how to help her because every time I say that she is beautiful, she says I'm only saying that because I'm her mother. She is surrounded by social media images, unrealistic beauty standards and constant ...Read more