Cranky friend at work may be threat to advancement

DEAR ABBY: I moved to town not long before the pandemic and don't have many close friends here. One of my best friends is a co-worker, "Ronna," whom I love dearly. Ronna has had an extremely rough past, including an...

Twins are divided over mom's treatment for terminal cancer

DEAR ABBY: My 63-year-old mother has recently been diagnosed with stage-4 metastatic lung cancer. Even prior to her diagnosis she was a negative and depressed person. She has been a smoker, drinker and backseat driver for almost...

Family photos at risk after brother-in-law's death

DEAR ABBY: My husband's sister passed away in 2013. Her husband, "Roger," joined her in heaven three months ago. There are pictures in their house of my husband's family (parents, grandparents) that he would like to have...

Ring presented at engagement ceremony is unhappy surprise

DEAR ABBY: When my then-boyfriend asked me to marry him, he didn't have a ring ready, but I happily accepted his proposal. We were in our late 20s and had been dating for almost 10 years. He then took me to the jewelry store so I...

Habit of one-upmanship pushes women's friendship to the limit

Family ties break down after mom moves away

DEAR ABBY: Since I moved eight years ago, my son, "Jim," has visited me only once, and that's because I gave his son my car. I rarely hear from him, and when I have visited, we barely talk. We have totally different ideas on...

Confession to decades-old infidelity devastates wife

DEAR ABBY: Two years ago, my husband of 50 years confessed that 46 years ago, shortly after our son was born, he had a one-night stand with a total stranger he gave a ride to. She offered sex to him, and they went to a hotel for...