ArcaMax

The Second Look at a promising someone is among my favorite mental delicacies because it changes shape and importance as life (mine, anyway) moves you into new situations. And truth to tell, in my experience, each one seems to ask for (and impart) greater patience, deeper understanding and more worldly wisdom.

The main challenge of the Second ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: I volunteer at my local humane society every weekend, and over the past several months, I've developed a real connection with one of the cats there. Her name is Marbles, and she's been at the shelter for more than a year now. She's had a rough past, and she can be a bit aggressive at times, especially around strangers or loud ...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I worked with someone who was uber passive-aggressive and made my life at work difficult. Fortunately, she retired at the end of the semester.

There was a retirement gathering for her with cake and coffee, given by her colleagues. I vowed long ago as division chair to never attend a gathering for this individual, so I skipped...Read more

Dear Annie: My partner's mother constantly demands attention, and everything revolves around her. Whenever we're busy or focused on other things, she lashes out -- often hurting those around her, including her grandchildren. She plays favorites, manipulates situations to her advantage and pulls the extended family into her drama. If anyone ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: My oldest daughter, "Alexa," is breaking my heart. She's engaged to a nice enough man she's been with for five years, but she has cast aside every single wedding tradition that's important to us.

Alexa won't wear an engagement ring because diamonds are "ugly" and not politically correct. She has refused to have either an engagement ...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: My sister won't answer my calls or call me back, and I have no idea what I did wrong. She has never been great at communicating, but now she has gone radio silent. At first, I thought she was just busy, but it's been a while now, and I'm starting to worry that something is really wrong between us. I've tried texting her, leaving ...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I have been friends with someone for 12 years. We used to do everything together, and were even roommates for a while.

Then she met a wealthy guy at the coast. I have met him a handful of times, and he always seems nice. They are now married and live on a yacht.

My husband and I spend most of our summer vacations at the same...Read more

Dear Annie: I'm at a crossroads in my marriage, and I don't know what to do. My husband and I barely talk anymore unless it's about the kids or logistics. There's no connection, no affection -- just a quiet tension that lingers in the background of everything. We've tried counseling, and while it helped us communicate better for a while, ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: We were recorded on video and audio on our daughter's porch, thinking we were talking to each other privately. We were discussing how hurt we were that she didn't want to spend time with us on our 50th wedding anniversary, shortly after she and her husband moved out of state. They could easily have driven to a new RV park close to our...Read more

DEAR HARRIETTE: My husband recently came home from a business trip, and as I was doing the laundry, I noticed a condom in his pants pocket. I am so upset, but I'm afraid to approach him about this. My husband travels a lot for work. I never thought that he might be having sex with someone while he's on the road. Now it seems like it's a ...Read more

DEAR MISS MANNERS: Between my husband and me, who have each been married previously to other people, we have four children, 11 grandchildren and five great-grandchildren. We have been married to each other for almost 25 years. Six of the grandchildren and all of the great-grandchildren have been born during our marriage.

I am especially close ...Read more

Dear Annie: There's a little boy in my son's school -- he's 6 years old -- who has a history of being very physical with other kids, including my son. They were in the same class previously, and my son would come home upset, sometimes with bruises, telling me this boy had hit or shoved him during the day. Thankfully, they're not in the same ...Read more

DEAR ABBY: I'm 58 and five years into my second marriage. We lived together a little over a year before getting married. I spent seven years as a caregiver for my parents before marrying my current husband.

We moved to Kentucky from Florida because his mom needed us close, but since the move, he has become someone I hardly know. We finally got ...Read more

It started with a comment during school pickup, something my mom said about the china plates she remembered from her parents' home. The delicate plates and cups, which were kept behind glass, were reserved for use only once or twice a year. I mentioned that the china was a good metaphor for the differences in our generation. Hers kept some ...Read more