DEAR ABBY: I am a 67-year-old divorced mother of five and grandmother of eight. My marriage to the father of my first four children ended 30 years ago because he was physically and emotionally abusive. After the divorce, I managed to put myself through college, and I am now a retired teacher…

DEAR ABBY: I have a smartphone, and I love its convenience. I check my email, texts and voicemail three or four times a day and always try to respond promptly. But I do not carry my phone with me every moment of the day.

DEAR ABBY: The other day I had to leave my house in the morning because my son’s school called. He wasn’t feeling well and wanted to come home. I just threw on what I had worn the day before as I headed out the door. On the way out to my car, my neighbor yelled out, “Isn’t that the same outf…

DEAR ABBY: I am a successful career woman in my 50s. My husband is in his 40s. We decided several years ago that he could stop working, as my income is enough for both of us. He runs our household and is invaluable to me, not only as manager of our household, but also because he looks after …

DEAR ABBY: My father died three years ago. My parents were both close to his younger brother and his wife. For the past two years, I have suspected that my mother and my uncle have been having an affair. They live in different states and text back and forth. She has left her phone open when …

DEAR ABBY: I am 30 years old, the only child of divorced parents in their late 60s. Neither of them has remarried.

DEAR ABBY: My boyfriend and I have been together for nearly a year. He has several female friends I have met and like very much. However, one of them texts him every day, even while we are together. She also sends Facebook messages and sometimes calls him at work. Sometimes she “drops in” at…

DEAR ABBY: I have been employed at a fine dining restaurant for 30 years. I love my job.

DEAR ABBY: I am getting married soon. I grew up without a biological father. When I was younger, a man (I’ll call him Tom) stepped into my life and has been like a father to me for almost two decades. I have gone on several family vacations with him and his family.

DEAR ABBY: My husband’s best friend remarried a couple of years ago, and the new wife, “Jane,” is a handful. When we get together, she’s as free-spirited and open as you can get, sexually. She hangs on her husband like a magnet, grabbing at him provocatively and letting everyone know anythin…

DEAR ABBY: I live in Atlanta, and my family lives four hours south. My brother travels here often to visit his girlfriend and their son. I never know he’s in town unless another family member mentions it or he posts a photo of himself at a local landmark.

DEAR ABBY: I am a female in my mid-20s. My whole life I have been in a constant state of exhaustion. When I was in school, I’d try so hard not to fall asleep in class. (I actually enjoyed school and got good grades.) But when I got home, I’d have to take a nap before doing my homework or cho…

DEAR ABBY: Our son is married to a beautiful girl, “Debra.” Several years ago, while we were away on vacation, she entered our home without our consent. (Our son has a key to our house.) She took several expensive, very personal and sentimental items, and we have no idea what she did with th…

DEAR ABBY: My 40-year-old daughter, “Marta,” and I are widows. I’m retired, and my daughter has a small home-based business. She and her three children live with me. Because the cost of living is high in our city, living together has allowed us to pool our resources and co-parent my grandkids.

DEAR ABBY: I’m having trouble with a friend, “Julie.” We have been close friends for about five years. Julie is 29, still a virgin and lives at home. I never thought much about her living at home but, as the years go by, her living arrangements have become more front and center.

DEAR ABBY: My dad had a heart attack and nearly died a year ago. Since then, he has totally revamped his diet and put forth the effort to eat a plant-based diet to become healthier. It has been a family affair, and my sister jumped on the bandwagon as well.

DEAR ABBY: I have been married for 10 years and have two children. One of them is a toddler.

DEAR ABBY: A couple of years ago, I was working as a certified nursing assistant in a nursing home. One day, I decided to stay beyond my usual evening shift into the night shift, as I had a few times before. While working the night shift, I was violently sexually assaulted by a fellow CNA. T…

DEAR ABBY: My mother, who is in her late 60s, is obsessed with family history and preserving attachments to relatives. In addition to being the family genealogist, she collects objects that belonged to relatives or people who “might” have been relatives, those who share our last name or live…

DEAR ABBY: My husband died in 2001. There is a man I have been seeing for 17 years I’ll call Jack. He has a home in Georgia. I live in Pennsylvania, where I share a home with my grown son and my daughter, her husband and my 6-year-old grandson.

DEAR ABBY: I have known this man, “Finn,” for years. We grew up together. He was the annoying boy on the playground who turned into my first love when we were in college. We live in different states now, so we have grown distant, although we still talk on holidays and birthdays.

DEAR ABBY: I have two beautiful daughters, ages 3 and 4. My concern is that my younger daughter is very friendly. No matter where we go, she says “hi” to everyone she sees, strangers included. With all her positive energy, she has the type of personality that attracts attention when she walk…

DEAR ABBY: I’m a single woman who has always wanted children. As much as I would’ve liked, marriage isn’t in the cards for me yet and maybe not ever, which I’ve accepted.

DEAR ABBY: My husband lost his job. He had worked there since we were married 10 years ago, and earned top wages because he had been with them for so long. Two years into our marriage, when we found out we were expecting our first child, we decided that I would be a stay-at-home mom. My husb…

FROM ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION

DEAR ABBY: My husband, “Doug,” and I have had a long and happy marriage. We’ve raised two children, both of whom are doing well in life. I have much to be thankful for, but I keep having to remind myself of that because I’m having trouble adjusting to my changing relationship with my husband.

DEAR ABBY: I’ve been dating my boyfriend for a year and a half. We’re both 30, and we have pretty much decided to tie the knot. The only thing holding me back is his hygiene.

DEAR ABBY: My brother, “Kevin,” came out at the age of 30. Now, 20 years later, I have a son who would like to stay with my brother for a few months while working a job nearby. We have never discussed that Kevin is gay. I had no idea when he came out to me. No one ever asked me about it othe…

DEAR ABBY: Sometimes when my husband has been drinking, he does things I consider inappropriate with his cousin and childhood friend “Jasper.” The most recent incident involved my husband pulling down his pants and showing Jasper his private parts. Later that night he tried to grab Jasper’s crotch.

DEAR ABBY: I’m a mother of two girls, ages 3 and 5. Their father and I are together, but I’m not in love with him anymore. I have felt this way for two years now.

DEAR ABBY: I will soon be retiring from a lay position in my church. As a former member of the choir, I’m being urged to return to it, which appeals to me. My problem is a member who has caused trouble in the past for me with lies and criticism.

DEAR ABBY: My father is in his 70s and lives close by. My brother and his family live across the country. Dad has smoked for more than 60 years, and an incident with his high blood pressure recently landed him in the hospital. He’s supposed to be on medication, but he refuses to take it.

DEAR ABBY: I am a 15-year-old girl who wants to become a vegetarian. I don’t exactly know why. I only know I want to stop eating meat and choose a healthier alternative lifestyle. I also want to lose weight, which may happen after becoming vegetarian.

DEAR ABBY: My father’s behavior has been very peculiar lately. He and Mom have been married for 45 years. Of course, all marriages go through ups and downs. They have had their share of health problems. Both are doing OK but are dealing with some medical issues.

DEAR ABBY: Six months ago, I got back in touch with a childhood friend who married at 17 and moved away. She has lots of family drama, much of it caused by her alcoholism (which she says is a result of PTSD).

DEAR ABBY: I’ve been best friends with “Mary” since we were 13. We’re 23 now. We tell each other everything and are as close as sisters. We went to high school together, but I graduated and Mary dropped out in senior year with the intention of finishing up later. She never did. She does want…

DEAR ABBY: How should I tell my father that I have chosen a career he never wanted me to consider? I plan to become a police officer. Abby, all my life I have felt the call to help people. I know a career in law enforcement brings with it the possibility of danger, especially in today’s clim…

DEAR ABBY: I recently located a person I knew a long time ago who stole an expensive gold bracelet from me. I’d dated this guy for a while. He wore my bracelet, and I wore his. My bracelet was a gift from a relative I cared for deeply. His bracelet was a piece of junk, but I was a teenager w…

DEAR ABBY: After being together for a year, my boyfriend and I recently moved in together. Since then he hasn’t been home much. We don’t spend time together the way we used to when we first started dating. He has changed a lot.

DEAR ABBY: This is embarrassing. I am 30 and don’t drive. I have extreme anxiety and a learning disorder that affects my visual spatial perception. I try to hide this as much as possible, but I’m worried the truth will come out. Should I disclose it to employers? New friends? Acquaintances? …

DEAR ABBY: My husband and I have been married for three years. He’s 26, and I’m 28. We have a good life, and he loves my 9-year-old daughter like his own child.

DEAR ABBY: I’m engaged to be married to a wonderful woman who has a 6-year-old daughter with her ex-husband. They share joint custody.

DEAR ABBY: I recently attended a friend’s party that was being given to celebrate their son’s 18th birthday. I thought it would be cheeky and fun to buy him a risqué card from an adult boutique, thinking everyone would get a good laugh, and we’d have something to roast the young man with. Wh…

DEAR ABBY: I have a concern as a grandmother about our youngest grandchild, age 10. He is addicted to video games. There has been quite a lot of publicity on how bad this can be for children.

DEAR ABBY: I just started dating an amazing guy. He is sweet, funny and handsome, but I don’t feel as strongly for him as he does for me. Maybe it’s too early in the relationship for me to be worried about feelings, or maybe as much as I want to have deep feelings for him, I don’t.

DEAR ABBY: My stepbrother “Pete” is a recovering addict who did significant prison time for possession and gang affiliations. He has also had multiple DUI convictions. He’s been out for two years and is holding a job and taking care of his kids part-time.

DEAR ABBY: Four years ago, I became friends with a co-worker and things took off too fast. Within a couple of months, I became pregnant. We were thrown together without really even knowing each other because, deep down, we wanted a family and decided to stick it out.

DEAR ABBY: I’m a 19-year-old girl who’s been with my boyfriend for two years. We are a wonderful match and love each other very much. There’s just one flaw in our relationship that I hold lots of guilt over. From the beginning, we have both known he would like to have kids, and I have always…

DEAR ABBY: I have an extensive history of childhood trauma. I was sexually abused by my stepfather for 15 years. When I turned him in, my family turned their backs on me. I was told it could have been handled within the family, and they blamed me for acting “sexy.” My stepfather spent 10 yea…

DEAR ABBY: My friends and family constantly ask me when I plan to get a new phone. I have a slide phone. I used to have a flip phone, which also drew the same questions. I am not a phone person. I have a land line at home with answering/messaging in place. I am sick of the questions about my…