ArcaMax

Dear Annie: I wanted to write in with a mindset shift that I have had over the past couple of years. What helps me get over childhood trauma is the realization that I am who I am because of the things I've experienced -- both the good things and the awful things that stem from my childhood and how I've lived as a result. Our parents were ...Read more

Dear Annie: I have an elderly family member who constantly interrupts me. Not only does she interrupt when I'm talking to her, but she eavesdrops on my conversations with others and interrupts those, too. She has been doing this for decades, so I highly doubt it's related to age. It's extremely rude, and I've tried to kindly tell her many ...Read more

Dear Readers: So many of you were relieved that I printed a positive letter about mothers-in-law. Please find some more letters in praise of MIL. I'm sure any mother of a son appreciates these letters.

Dear Annie: I share "Change's" feelings about my mothers-in-law. I, too, won the mother-in-law lottery, twice! My first husband's mother was ...Read more

Dear Annie: My heart is broken, and so is my wife's. This past year, we planned a family vacation because my daughter and her family and my son and his live in a different state. We were meeting in the middle to save everyone from such a long road trip. My wife and I have been married almost 35 years, and she helped raise my two children. My ...Read more

Dear Readers: Memorial Day is a federal holiday in the United States for honoring and mourning the U.S. military personnel who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces.

"Vigil Strange I Kept on the Field One Night" by Walt Whitman

"Vigil strange I kept on the field one night; / When you my son and my comrade dropt at my side that...Read more

Dear Annie: I'm 72, and my husband is 80 years old. We have our own home, three acres, and we attend most of our grandkids' plays, contests, games and practices.

Today's parents go overboard when it comes to sports and extracurricular activities. They are unable to find time outside of school to be kids. Parents refuse to cook the family a ...Read more

Dear Annie: I have been married now for just over three decades to who I thought was the love of my life. For years, I have noticed that my husband regards his birth family to be No. 1 and our immediate family No. 2.

He was hooked on his beautiful and caring mom until she was tragically taken back home to rest with our Lord. Now it seems that...Read more

Dear Annie: My son survived heroin addiction 18 years ago. He was quite young and only used the drug for around two years, but they were a terrifying two years. During that time, I helped enroll him in a methadone program, a live-in program (three times) and other programs.

People around me were critical and told me no program would help him ...Read more

Dear Annie: My husband and I are both in our late 60s. We've been married about six years and we both have very decent retirement funds, with him actually very financially secure with lots of money put back. We split the bills and groceries, including eating out about three times a month, and we take a small trip a few times each year...Read more

Dear Annie: I'm writing because I have two sisters-in-law through my husband, and together they have three kids, ages 2 and under. In both cases, they have full custody with minimal support from the fathers. Their entire family lives within five miles of each other, and yet my sisters-in-law choose questionable friends to babysit instead of ...Read more

Dear Annie: My brother-in-law passed away 10 years ago, and tragically, my sister, his wife, passed on two years later, leaving behind their three boys: "Tom" (14), "Freddie" (17) and "Dennis" (22).

Initially, my wife and I offered to take in Tom, the youngest, but the boys wanted to stay together. Dennis, the eldest, had just finished ...Read more

Dear Annie: After reading the letter from "Family Friend," who is concerned about the development of the 2-year-old child of a friend, I wanted to share my own experiences. Perhaps this child may not be speaking well because he is not hearing properly.

My daughter-in-law (special ed teacher and school counselor) felt that her eldest child, my...Read more

Dear Annie: More than 25 years ago, my wife cheated, likely multiple times with multiple men. She wanted to divorce me, but I convinced her to go to couples therapy. I won't go into all the details, except this: The therapist recommended that she not share who the affair partner(s) were. They were a husband-and-wife team of therapists, and I ...Read more

Dear Annie: When the time comes -- hopefully I pass before my loving husband and faithful partner of nearly 25 years, but if not -- I could use a few words of advice as to how to deal with my estranged step-daughter, her bitter mother (both vultures) and her young children who I've never met due to an unresolved falling out many years ago.

I ...Read more

Dear Annie: My sister "Emily" and I were planning a joint celebration for our parents' 40th wedding anniversary, but we've hit a snag. Emily wants to host a large party with all of our extended family and friends, but I think that a more intimate gathering would be more special and less stressful for our parents. They are both pretty reserved,...Read more

Dear Annie: I've been happily married for over 12 years, but lately, I've noticed a growing distance between my husband "Bryan" and me. He's always been a bit of a workaholic, but it's gotten to the point where even on weekends, he's either at the office or on his phone dealing with work-related issues. We used to enjoy things like hiking and ...Read more

Dear Annie: I have my 20-year high school reunion coming up, and I'm planning to go, as it's a major milestone reunion and we've lost some people over the years. However, I will be running into some issues with it.

The biggest issue is that I am in ongoing therapy for sexual assaults that happened in high school back in the early 2000s, and ...Read more

Dear Annie: I have a younger co-worker who I met at a work social event, and we started talking a bit about novels we are writing as a hobby. A few weeks later, he came by my cubicle to ask me more about writing, so I gave him a few resources to a local writers group. Ever since then, he keeps stopping by, often interrupting my lunchtime.

It'...Read more

Dear Annie: My husband and I have been together for 15 years. He has three children from a previous marriage. In the early days of our relationship, my nieces would often come and visit during the summers, and all the kids would play together. As everyone grew older, the visits lessened to just holidays.

Fast forward to now, when one of my ...Read more

Dear Readers: Wishing you all a Happy Mother's Day. Below are some beautiful quotes to enjoy on Mother's Day.

"We are born of love; love is our mother." -- Rumi

"To describe my mother would be to write about a hurricane in its perfect power. Or the climbing, falling colors of a rainbow." -- Maya Angelou

"I am sure that if the mothers of ...Read more