Dear Eric: My wife and I have been married for 11 years and are parents to three kids. We spend a lot of time together, eat dinner every night as a family and try to have one fun event with the kids each weekend. Occasionally, an event with my friends comes up on a date that my wife already has plans with her friends. Whenever I tell my friends I can’t make it, the response is “Oh, you have to babysit” or “Oh, you have to watch the kids.”
Dear Eric: I’m not close to my sister. Over the years, there has been very little contact, except when she needs money. She and two of her adult daughters have called asking for money, one asking more than once. I want to keep peace in the family, so I’ve given it to them. They said they would pay it back. Not only have they not done so, but they cut off all communication. I’ve never gotten any pictures of her grandkids, no newsy little notes about their daily life.
Dear Eric: I’m in my late 30s and definitely want to cohabitate and consider parenthood. How do I deal with my partner?
Dear Readers: On my last day communicating with you in this way, I feel compelled to try to sum up my experience by offering some lasting wisdom, but I’ve got no fresh insight. Everything I know has been distilled from wisdom gathered elsewhere.
Dear Readers: With wedding season upon us, I’m re-running a favorite column from 2021 devoted to wedding mishaps — all sent in by readers. Perhaps reading about some of the things that can go wrong at a wedding will inspire people to avoid these pitfalls.
Dear Amy: I don’t want to upset my community by accusing them of racist behavior I have never witnessed, but I am aware of incidents taking place in similar communities.
Dear Amy: I have recently found out that six months ago her daughter was in a freak accident and is now paralyzed from the waist down. The story made the national press, but I only found out it was Daisy’s daughter through an unconnected, professional contact.
Dear Readers: Today I hope you will enjoy a rerun of two of the most infuriating questions I have ever published (slightly edited for space).
Dear Amy: He knows nearly everything about me. The last thing – the thing he doesn’t know – is my protected secret.
Dear Amy: If they show up with him, do we have a right to ask them to leave? We will be so angered!