DEAR ABBY: I’m 57 and have been married for 25 years. My husband has retired and is ready for me to do the same. I enjoy my work, and I am delaying my retirement because he wants to move to another state. Abby, all I can think about is how I will be forced to […]

DEAR ABBY: For the past 17 years, we have hosted parties at Christmas. Although years ago they started with 15 guests and light hors d’oeuvres, the list has grown to 82 guests and a full buffet dinner and bar. It costs several thousand dollars when you factor in the servers and bartender, and it requires […]

DEAR ABBY: I am a happily married man with one problem that doesn’t go away. I convinced my wife, ”Ellen,” to move to Florida so we could be close to my family, but now she doesn’t trust them because of an altercation she had with my mother. Ellen says Mom made negative comments about her […]

DEAR ABBY: I recently got my husband back in touch with ”Scott,” his best friend from adolescence and college. My husband’s ex had kept them apart, so this rekindling is extra special and appreciated. I don’t want to do anything that would jeopardize it. But Scott’s wife makes me very uncomfortable. She is quiet, reserved, […]

DEAR ABBY: I’m 42, and the mother of three children. I love my kids, but after many years of wanting to do something about my ”mommy belly,” I decided to have a tummy tuck. As a woman of color, my preference was for a sculpted, curvy shape. For aesthetic reasons, I liked the work being […]

DEAR ABBY: After 19 years of marriage, my mother divorced my father to be with my stepfather. They have been together for 40 years now. The problem is, Mom can’t go more than three days without talking about my father or his family. It’s like my stepsiblings grew up with a ”ghost” stepdad because of […]

DEAR ABBY: I have two wonderful children (28 and 30). Both are married and have great spouses. Ever since I was a girl, I have dreamed of being a mother and a grandmother. My heartbreak is that neither of my children wants kids. Every time I hear that my sister or brother is becoming a […]

DEAR ABBY: When I call my brother or sister, I expect my call to be private, just between the two of us. However, halfway through the call, other people in the household join the conversation or I’ll hear pots and pans rattling. I consider this to be very rude. I realize in this era of […]