Life Advice
/Health
Parents Won't Take 'No' For An Answer From Son
DEAR ABBY: I have suspected for many years that my son is gay. I don't understand why he would feel he can't talk to me about his relationships. I would love him regardless. Everything was fine when his father and I lived hundreds of miles away, but when I mentioned we might move closer, my son got very upset and made it clear that he didn't ...Read more
Boyfriend's Daughter Complicates Long-Term Relationship
DEAR ABBY: I have been seeing my partner, "Gil," for five years. After my husband passed, Gil came into my life again. We had been colleagues about 10 years prior. We always had a spark but never acted on it, as I was deeply committed to my late husband.
After the funeral, Gil came into my life with guns blazing. We struck up a friendship, and ...Read more
Husband's New Friendship Puts Marriage On The Rocks
DEAR ABBY: I am 57 and have been married for 32 years to my husband, who retired from his full-time job last year. I still work full time. Since his retirement, he has been going to a bar once a week or so, spending a few hours visiting with the customers and staff.
One of the staff has taken an interest in being his "buddy." My husband is ...Read more
Sibling Is Making Elderly Mom's Life A Living Hell
DEAR ABBY: I live five hours away from my hometown. My mom is 98 and in assisted living there. In recent years, my younger sister has become cruel to our mom and is trying to take advantage of her.
Instead of helping Mom, she does things to deliberately upset her and raise her blood pressure. Two examples: putting dog poop on my recently ...Read more
Mother Doesn't Like Son Keeping Her In The Dark
DEAR ABBY: I am worried about my 21-year-old son, "Travis." He hasn't quite left our home that he shares with me and my husband, but he sleeps here only one or two nights. He's in school part time and works part time, which means working or studying long hours until morning.
What concerns me is where he's staying. He refuses to reveal his ...Read more
Errant Voicemail Reveals A Troubled Relationship
DEAR ABBY: I recently received a voicemail from my brother that recorded a conversation he was having with his wife. It was clear he didn't know he had accidentally dialed my phone during this conversation. It was an argument, which lasted two minutes before there was a pause in the conversation and he hung up.
I haven't addressed it with him ...Read more
Widow Ready To Take A Second Chance At Love
DEAR ABBY: In a few days, the second anniversary of my husband's death will be here. We were together for 40 years. They weren't easy years; he had many issues, both physical and mental. I was isolated because I didn't want others to know the extent of what I lived with every day. I cared deeply for him, and as his wife, it was for better or ...Read more
College Graduate Is Treated Like A Hostage At Home
DEAR ABBY: I'm a 23-year-old college graduate who was lucky enough to land a job in my field of study. The job is located in my hometown. Because I couldn't afford my own apartment, I moved back in with my parents. The situation was supposed to be temporary, but now that I can afford to move out, my parents insist that I stay with them. They ...Read more
Murder Of Sibling Has Changed Demeanor Of Victim's Brother
DEAR ABBY: Last year, my son, his girlfriend and two others were murdered outside a city where "things like this don't happen." My other two boys received a call to come immediately to their dad's home, where it had happened. My boys were the first to witness the bloody scene. They called 911. My son lived two days more. Today would have been ...Read more