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2 months ago | 
arcamax.com | Annie Lane |Amy Dickinson |R. Eric Thomas |Abigail Van Buren
Dear Readers: Many of you wrote in about the "Tossed Kittens" column and told me where I missed some points. I appreciate the feedback and want to share a few of these letters:Dear Annie: I was horrified to read about the woman who abandoned three kittens in the wild, especially after they had been socialized. There were so many alternatives available to her, including bringing them to a no-kill shelter, rather than discarding them in the woods to face almost certain suffering.
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2 months ago | 
arcamax.com | Annie Lane |Amy Dickinson |R. Eric Thomas |Abigail Van Buren
Dear Annie: I recently attended my stepson's wedding. My husband and his ex-wife were announced as mother and father of the groom as they entered the wedding reception together. His ex thought nothing of taking my husband's arm as they entered. Meanwhile, I'm sitting at our table by myself as this is happening. My husband and I have been married for 15 years, so I had thought we would enter the wedding reception and be introduced as the father of the groom and his wife. What is the correct protocol?
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2 months ago | 
arcamax.com | Amy Dickinson |R. Thomas |Abigail Van Buren |Annie Lane
Dear Anna,I’m a 29-year-old single woman, and lately, dating has become more stressful than exciting. Every day, I’m bombarded with news about global challenges — climate disasters, political unrest and economic uncertainties — which leaves me feeling anxious and overwhelmed. When I go on dates, I often find myself distracted and gloomy, making it hard to be truly present with the person in front of me.
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2 months ago | 
arcamax.com | Annie Lane |Amy Dickinson |R. Eric Thomas |Abigail Van Buren
Dear Annie: I've always been the person who people turn to for support -- friends, family, even co-workers come to me when they need advice or a shoulder to lean on. And while I genuinely love helping others, I'm starting to realize I don't have anyone I can turn to when I need the same kind of support. I'm not sure if it's because I've built this "strong one" persona or if people just assume I don't need help. Either way, it's lonely, and I don't know how to break the cycle.
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2 months ago | 
arcamax.com | Annie Lane |Amy Dickinson |R. Eric Thomas |Abigail Van Buren
Dear Annie: I've been in an eight-year relationship that now seems to be ending, largely due to issues with my partner's daughters. They've become disrespectful and jealous, and one has crossed serious boundaries by stealing from me and sabotaging our relationship. Over the past year, I've been struggling with a mental health condition, which worsened after I lost my mom and faced significant stress. I was even hospitalized for 10 days. Since then, the dynamic has completely changed.
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2 months ago | 
arcamax.com | Amy Dickinson |R. Eric Thomas |Abigail Van Buren |Annie Lane
Dear Anna,My partner of three years absolutely despises Valentine's Day. He calls it a "commercialized scam" and refuses to participate in any way. I understand his perspective — yes, it's commercialized. All holidays are! And yes, we should show love year-round. But here's the thing: I genuinely enjoy having this day dedicated to celebrating our love. Growing up, my parents always made Valentine's Day special.
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2 months ago | 
arcamax.com | Annie Lane |Amy Dickinson |R. Eric Thomas |Abigail Van Buren
Dear Annie: Where do I even start? My senior friend has been draining me emotionally for the past 15 years. We were neighbors and acquaintances, but we never went anywhere or did anything together. Our friendship was limited to exchanging small gifts or cards for events like birthdays, and that was fine -- until one fall day when she completely lost her temper. She started shouting and ranting in front of the neighbors, saying terrible things.
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2 months ago | 
arcamax.com | Amy Dickinson |R. Eric Thomas |Abigail Van Buren |Annie Lane
For years, I’ve worked with clients who come to me saying the same thing: “I just can’t find the right person.” When I dig a little deeper, a common theme appears — they’re clinging to a very specific idea of who their “type” is. (It often starts with a physical attribute, but it goes beyond that, too.)And here’s the kicker: That type is often the exact reason they’re single. But, if you rethink your approach to dating a bit and question your patterns, it might open doors you didn’t know existed.
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2 months ago | 
arcamax.com | Annie Lane |Amy Dickinson |R. Eric Thomas |Abigail Van Buren
Dear Annie: My relationship with my mother has been deeply strained since my grandmother's death five years ago. My mother and I were her primary caregivers, and I loved my grandmother dearly. After she passed, I endured severe verbal and emotional abuse from my mother's brother, who has a history of anger issues and domestic violence. Despite this, my mother has never acknowledged the harm I experienced or supported me.
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2 months ago | 
arcamax.com | Annie Lane |Amy Dickinson |R. Eric Thomas |Abigail Van Buren
Dear Annie: I am hopelessly in love with my best friend and have been for most of our lives (we've been friends since childhood). Over the years, there have been moments when it felt like we were moving toward being together, but it never progressed. We currently live together and share almost every aspect of our lives but don't even sleep in the same room most nights. We've been intimate in the past, but not recently.
