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Millennial Life: The Charge of Democracy
As I was being charged by name with genocide and cowardice by the protesters yelling in council chambers, I thought about my great-grandfather. His crime had been speaking out and warning about cowardice.
The Nazi officers had wanted to kill someone in front of him. He told the officer with the gun not to be a coward, that if the officer wanted...Read more
Celebrating Mothers and Their Enduring Love
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
Ask Amy: Mother of gay son not ready for the pride parade
Dear Amy: My son “Jack” is 26 years old. Five years ago, he came out to me as gay. While this didn’t fully surprise me, it saddened me. I wanted Jack to have a traditional life. I wanted to have grandchildren.
Despite these feelings, I told him I accepted him.
Jack has lived on his own for the past several years. Recently he told me that...Read more
Woman's Choice Of Partner Is About To End Inheritance
DEAR ABBY: I'm a 67-year-old father to a wonderful daughter. She has decided to stay with her boyfriend, who recently got out of jail for stealing $200,000 from his grandparents. Because of this, I do not want to leave her a large sum of money when I pass. (As of now, she would inherit it.)
My problem is, how do I tell her I am removing her ...Read more
Boyfriend's Cousin Crosses Boundaries
DEAR HARRIETTE: During spring break, I visited my boyfriend's hometown, where I met his extended family, known to me through his sister's stories. She had mentioned that most of their older male cousins were sneaky and playful. Throughout my stay, my boyfriend's favorite cousin repeatedly tried to flirt with me and asked for my social media ...Read more
Judge Not Others' Typos, Lest Ye Be Judged
DEAR MISS MANNERS: I am a journalist. The other day, I noticed a typo in an online headline from another outlet, so I called around to see if I could notify them. I was unsuccessful.
Eventually, I posted on social media that they should fix it. I only meant for the post to be up an hour or so, but I got busy and forgot to take it down.
My ...Read more
Deciding Mom's Final Resting Place
Dear Annie: My mom passed away six months ago. I am in possession of her cremated remains. Shortly before her death, I moved to the other side of the country, to a place she'd never been.
She mentioned many years ago she would want her ashes to be scattered in the state of Maine, where she resided for about 15 years in the 1990s. When she ...Read more
Ask Amy: Walking buddies’ relationship stumbles
Dear Amy: I have been walking buddies with a neighbor for the last 12 years. We walk together about once a week.
While I usually enjoy our time, there have been unsettling emotional outbursts from her, either crying or screaming about one thing or another.
She has even yelled at me personally, which was shocking and embarrassing to me, and I ...Read more
Husband Acknowledges Affair, But Not Everything Adds Up
DEAR ABBY: My husband had an affair. I found out after seeing a motel charge on our bank account. I asked, and he confessed that it was with an old school sweetheart. I asked how long it was going on. He said two years. He then called her and told her I knew. He told me he had told her if I ever found out, it was over for them.
When I got on ...Read more
Friend Feels Like A Third Wheel
DEAR HARRIETTE: I find myself feeling like a third wheel in my friend group, and it's starting to take a toll on my confidence and sense of belonging. While I value the friendships I have with both of my friends individually, whenever we're all together, I can't shake the feeling that I'm somehow intruding on their bond. They seem to share ...Read more
Dinner And A Show
DEAR MISS MANNERS: My friend and I had tickets for a show, and we thought we had allowed enough time beforehand -- nearly two hours -- to eat dinner at one of the casual restaurants near the theater. However, although it was a weeknight, every eatery nearby was packed. We waited at one establishment for 20 minutes until there was a table ...Read more
Brother's New Girlfriend Gets off on the Wrong Foot
Dear Annie: My recently divorced brother has a new girlfriend. He has been divorced for three months. She has introduced him to all of her friends and family. She was married 20 years and went through a bitter divorce and had several bad dating experiences from dating sites. She seems to be elated to find a nice guy like my brother. She seems ...Read more
Ask Amy: Man doesn’t want cancer to define him
Dear Amy: I’m a 57-year-old man.
I was recently diagnosed with stage 4 prostate cancer.
I am obviously not overjoyed, but I am totally accepting of this news. Living with – not dying of – cancer means a few lifestyle changes and the need to be more aware of things.
My cancer is not curable, but it is treatable; similar to many other ...Read more
Father Tells Daughter She Shares Blame For Divorce
DEAR ABBY: I am the 18-year-old daughter (and third child) of parents who are going through a divorce after being together for 36 years. I need your insight on this because I am unsure.
My father has always craved physical love and affection, whereas my mom is more like a cat who prefers separation and independence. Even with these differences,...Read more
Can straight married men and women be friends? I went on a quest to find out
Last fall I met a guy.
He had a thick mustache and was, by my estimate, at least 10 years my junior. We happened to sit next to each other at a dinner event at my social club. I'd recently watched "Wild Wild Country," a documentary series on a religious cult, and it was all I wanted to talk about. It turned out that he loved documentaries on ...Read more
Ask Anna: Navigating the ripple effects of a poly breakup
Dear Anna,
My primary partner, who I’ll call Alex, and I have been in a loving, committed relationship for five years, and for three of those years, we've been in a closed triad with Sam. Our relationship with Sam grew organically and became a significant part of our lives, deeply intertwining with our daily routines and social circles.
...Read more
Family Makes Insinuations About Child's Dna
DEAR HARRIETTE: I have ginger hair and hazel-brown eyes, while my wife is a brunette with brown eyes. Despite our genetics, our 2-year-old child is dark-haired with blue eyes with a speck of green. My mother and sister cannot stop insinuating that my wife may have cheated on me. I consistently reject this idea and have become increasingly ...Read more
College Dorm Odd Couple
DEAR MISS MANNERS: I am a college student, and my roommate and I have majorly conflicting sleeping habits.
I have declared music as my major and have seven classes that I need to keep on top of, in addition to several rehearsals a week. My days begin at 9 a.m. and sometimes don't end until 9 p.m. I am up and about all day long, whether it is to...Read more
Is It Depression or Something Else?
Dear Annie: I am a 48-year-old male living at home with my folks and older sister. We are a close-knit family and do things together often. I couldn't be happier to have them in my life.
Lately, I've been feeling a little bit down and stuck in the mud if you can call it that. I have no reason to feel like that. I am my oldest nephew's home ...Read more
Ask Amy: Elderly relatives lurk and report intel
Dear Amy: A little over a year ago, working with my mother’s doctor, I decided it was in her best interests (she has dementia) to move into assisted living.
With help from my spouse, I was able to maintain her unoccupied house for about a year.
We have other elderly relatives in the neighborhood who kept us posted if anything required ...Read more
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