DEAR ABBY: I’m a 32-year-old woman. My 20s were spent in a serious long-term relationship. It was a lot of firsts for me. After we split, I took a couple of years to sow my wild oats and find out who I am as an individual. I’m now looking for something more than “friends with […]

DEAR ABBY: The other day I went to the pool in my neighborhood and found there were four lounge chairs with towels on them indicating they were “reserved.” They are the best chairs in the pool area because they are covered by a small roof and protected from the sun. I then had to use […]

DEAR ABBY: Throughout my childhood, my mother was controlling in many ways. One of them was my clothes. She dressed me in ridiculous outfits that I found humiliating. If I expressed an opinion about anything, I was treated as being “bad.” It affected my mental health, which resulted in me hating the way I look. […]

DEAR ABBY: I have been with my boyfriend for three months. We’ve had our ups and downs. He’s more into me than I am into him. I was recently diagnosed with breast cancer, and he has offered to drive me to my surgery and help me at home in recovery. He’s also willing to take […]

DEAR ABBY: My girlfriend, “Jana,” and I have been together for 18 years. We live in a small community. About a year ago, a young single guy moved in next door. Jana and “Aiden” took an immediate liking to each other. She’s 64, and he’s 35. Aiden is on permanent disability, has never had a […]

DEAR ABBY: I have seen you mention in your column your cookbooklets of favorite recipes. I hope the meatloaf recipe is included. Years ago, I cut out your meatloaf recipe, and it’s been a staple at my house ever since. I did make one significant change: I use ground bison instead of beef. It’s healthier […]

DEAR ABBY: I have been married for 16 years, but after the birth of my first child, our marriage went downhill. My husband withdrew and went out with friends often. When my brother was in the hospital, I traveled three hours with my newborn baby to visit him. My husband drove up separately, stayed a […]

DEAR ABBY: I’m 42 and my guy friend is 59. He’s a wonderful person and a great provider. I’ve known him for about a year now, but he seems a bit controlling. He wants me around seven days a week and expects me to be this submissive woman that I’m not. I’m very independent. I […]

DEAR ABBY: I have been dating a wonderful man for two years. He has two grown children, 27 and 21. Both have good jobs and work full time. I have a son who is 12. The issue is family vacations, and paying for things while on vacation. I feel that since his children are adults, […]

DEAR ABBY: My 23-year-old daughter and her first and only boyfriend have begun to talk marriage. Although I think he’s a wonderful, smart, compassionate young man who seems to adore my daughter, I have one major concern: his unhealthy habits. When my daughter introduced him to us seven years ago, he was a little overweight. […]