Life

Dear Abby: Last week I was out with my family of 13 for dinner. My sister-in-law was sitting relaxed in her chair, stretching her back and extending her stomach. The waiter came over and, trying to make small talk, asked her, "What's the occasion? Are you pregnant?" My sister-in-law isn't pr…

Dear Abby: My mother has always had a horrible habit of making plans and canceling at the last minute. When I make plans with her, she invariably cancels the day of. Lately she has started making me feel guilty for not coming around more.

Dear Abby: I'm the mom of a 31-year-old daughter who recently broke up with her longtime boyfriend so she can be with a 17-year-old kid. I probably wouldn't be upset if she didn't have sons who are 15, 14, 12 and a daughter, 10, who considered the man she broke up with their dad. Her new lov…

Dear Abby: I'm a 26-year-old single man. Most of my good friends are getting married, and when they do, they stop speaking to me. I have a hard time not resenting them for it. It makes me feel my company was a placeholder until they got married, and I'm not worth keeping around now that they…

Dear Abby: I have had a wonderful and fulfilling career, and a life with a few hard bumps along the road. My wife and I enjoy spending time together as empty nesters.

Dear Abby: I have a guy friend who goes from girl to girl constantly. People talk about what a player he is and say he doesn't really like the women he's dating. He has been called desperate — among other things. None of this ever gets to him. Even though we are just close friends, he has ev…

Dear Abby: I am a platonic friend and part-time caregiver of a wealthy gentleman. I now reside in his residence out of necessity. We respect each other, and neither of us intends to be anything more than friends.

Dear Abby: I am a gay male. My sister, "Cate," is in what appears outwardly to be a committed relationship, but I know for a fact it isn't.

Dear Abby: Just months before our 30th wedding anniversary, my husband told me he doesn't love me and never wanted to marry me. I am beyond devastated. I feel I have wasted the best years of my life. We have two beautiful daughters who are my everything.

Dear Abby: Do you have any advice on how I can make friends with people my own age in my hometown? It's a small college town. I recently graduated from the local university and still live at home with my parents. Most of the people I socialized in school with have moved back home after gradu…

Dear Abby: I am a 57-year-old man who has been divorced for eight years. (My ex-wife was the one who filed.) I recently reconnected with my ex-wife's sister, "Edith," whom I hadn't seen in years. We began a friendship, which has evolved into a serious relationship.

Dear Abby: My aunt had a stillborn baby 20 years ago. At the time, I was a teenager. Ever since then she has lived a morbid lifestyle — like you'd see in a scary movie. After the first year, she threw a party with a cake for all of us, and wanted us to sing "Happy Birthday" to a baby that ne…

Dear Abby: I dated a man several years ago, and we just hooked up again. In the interim he had all of his teeth pulled. His dentures are ill-fitting, and he refuses to get them adjusted. As a result, he goes without any teeth, which I find a whole lot less than sexy. Our love life is sufferi…

Dear Abby: I am an attractive woman who has been married for 30 years. I think my husband has been cheating on me for most of them. Through the years I have seen the telltale signs and confronted him many times. But he continually tells me no, he would never do anything.

Dear Abby: My husband has always had anger issues. Recently, they have progressed from targeting inanimate objects to targeting me.

Dear Abby: I am the father of four. I divorced after my third child was born, and I got custody. I have been with my girlfriend, "Wanda," for six years, and we now have a daughter together.

Dear Abby: My husband and I are expecting a baby in a few months. My father and his wife asked if we would like a large crib/changing table/shelf combination they took a fancy to at an antique store. I politely refused and explained that there is no space in our small apartment. They sent it…

Dear Abby: I am very close to my 19-year-old son. He is kind, sweet and big-hearted. He has learning disabilities and the maturity level of probably a 15- or 16-year-old. Naturally, I am protective of him. He had one girlfriend during his senior year, and when they broke up after four months…

Dear Abby: Around 12 years ago, I helped out an old friend I'll call Patty by creating an author website for her. I have maintained it for her ever since. She is grateful and gives me a gift every once in a while to show her appreciation.

Dear Abby: I have been dating my boyfriend for two years. He is 10 years older, in his mid-40s. He is wonderful, kind, smart, and treats me well. There is only one issue: He still lives with his ex-girlfriend from 10 years ago.