Dear Gabby

#66 First date ends abruptly / Gabby would have titled it: What did I do to drive him away?

Dear Annie: I’m 21 years old and was asked out on my first date a month ago, I was thrilled. “Brad” and I went out three times, and we really seemed to like each other. Well it’s been two weeks since our...

#136 Mother-controlling daughter / Who's controlling who?

DEAR ABBY: I'm in my late 20s, single and have no children. I have lived on my own since I was 18. I own my home, my car and have no credit card debt, but my mother refuses to acknowledge me as an adult.

When I do simple chores or cook...

#134 Woman says pot use ruining friend / Did my mediocre life drive friend to go unconscious?

DEAR ABBY: Legal marijuana is making my best friend stupid, boring and insipid. Susan and I are in our 50s and have been best friends off and on since childhood. A decade ago, we started taking better...

#134 Daughter is rude and treats me with contempt

DEAR ABBY: I am a single mother struggling with my 12-year-old daughter. For the last three months she has been withdrawn, uncommunicative, rude, mean and treats me with contempt. We have been in counseling and are going back again, but I can't...

I think my husband is still cheating on me

DEAR ABBY: During the first year of our marriage, my husband cheated on me with women from his past as well as new encounters. When I confronted him, he promised to stop. He would then call and email these women, and tell them I was checking up on him...

Children upset by parent’s fighting / Show parents your letter and the replies

DEAR ABBY: I’m a 13-year-old boy, and I have a 5-year-old sister. Our parents are together, but
Dad's job was relocated to another state and he's gone most of the week. When he gets home, all he and Mom do is fight....

#132 Ex groupie doesn't want another musician

DEAR ABBY: I am dating a recently divorced man who was married to a very controlling woman for 31 years. I love him very much and see myself with him in the future. However, at the age of 53, he is interested in pursuing a singing career. I dated a...

#131 Daughter—alcoholic mom—estrangement—guilt

DEAR ABBY: A few years ago I talked to my mother about her drinking. She’s a binge drinker and her excuse is always, “It’s my day off.

I am focusing on myself and trying to figure out my life, as well with the help of Al-Anon - the only thing that...

#130 Schizo-affective diagnosed woman requests relationship advice

DEAR ABBY: I was diagnosed with schizo-affective disorder five years ago. I take my medicine and have been doing fine. The only thing missing in my life is love.

I finally met a man, and we have been slowly getting to know each...

#129 Son trashes mom, upsets others, during eulogy / Did I empower a mother to inflict abuse on her son?

DEAR ABBY: Someone gave a very inappropriate eulogy for someone my family cares about dearly. Is it worth it to say something to him? “Alton” lost his mother, a really good person who was...

#67 Breast obsessed boyfriend wants me to get implants / Should I spend money on implants or therapy?

Dear Abby: My boyfriend is obsessed with large breasts and constantly hints that I should enlarge my 34Cs. Lately he has been coming home late and telling me that he's been working overtime, when...

#80 Daughter wants to sever ties with mother-in-law / How do I repair the damage I’ve done?

Dear Annie: Yesterday I received a phone call from my daughter-in-law. She stated that she would appreciate it if I didn’t call her anymore until I was ready to admit that I was telling lies about her and...

#128 Wife upset about my family's integrity / Husband conned fiancé

DEAR ABBY: “Amy” and I have been married seven years. I used to enjoy family gatherings with my parents and brothers, but I am finding them stressful. Amy always seems to have an issue with “time.”

My family is easygoing and...

#17 I'm not happy with my nice husband / I think my husband is the source of my dissatisfaction

Dear Prudence: I have been married for six years. I have a nice man for a husband and a wonderful child. But of course, I am not satisfied with my life. I say this because I married my husband when I...

#125 Searching for new job on company time / Can’t get there from here

DEAR ABBY: I have been searching for a new job (unbeknownst to my current employer), and have been fortunate enough to get a few interviews. For the most part, they have been scheduled during business hours. I feel guilty...

#124 Daughter dreads mom's abusive visit / Should I keep submitting my children to abuse?

DEAR ABBY: My mother and I rarely get along—mainly because she thinks she's fabulous and I don't. I'm in my 30s, married with a child and have a career. I am tired of riding an emotional roller coaster with...

#123 Mom can't stand 10-year-old daughter / Communication process will work

DEAR ABBY: I can‘t stand my 10-year-old daughter. I was an 18-year-old single mother when she was born. I find her ugly and annoying. Everyone tells me how sweet and “pretty” she is, but I can‘t see it. I dread when she...

#122 Man seeks help on rules of dating / communication rules

DEAR ABBY: I am newly single after a 30-year marriage. Would you please explain to me the protocol regarding intimacy? After how many dates is it appropriate to engage in intimacy? And afterward, should the man call the woman or the...

#121 Woman doubts ability to help friend / Woman addresses addiction to enabling

DEAR ABBY: I am in my early 40s, and married with two daughters. I have a friend, “Sally,” whom I have known since the third grade. We are like sisters. Sally has been profoundly depressed for at least 15 years. She...

#120 History of betrayal plagues woman

DEAR ABBY: I'm 41 and a single mom. My marriage lasted 19 years, during which my husband cheated on me three times that I know of. I have dated a few men since the divorce. I caught each of them lying to me, cheating on me - or both.

I am now seeing a man...

#119 Saying 'love' at the right time / Am I stuck making others wrong?

DEAR ABBY: I have strong feelings about the word love. I use it only when I truly mean it. My husband’s family, however, bandies it about as a common word.

How does one respond when someone says l love you when you know he or...

#65 My wife hits me when we argue / Husband addicted to abuse and blaming

USA Weekend RelationTips

Q: Dear Dennis Hughes: My wife often hits me when we argue. We don't have children yet who might be affected, and she doesn't inflict much damage. But it disturbs me that she resorts to violence....

#118 Wife never apologizes / Have I been masterminding a divorce?

DEAR ABBY: My wife and I have been married for 23 years. Not once in all those 23 years have I ever received an apology from her. She spilled mustard on my shin while she was reaching across a table. It was my fault for not...

#117 Upset about insensitive divorce comments / Am I intending insensitive comments about my divorce?

DEAR ABBY: My divorce became final two months ago and several people have congratulated me. Abby, the last thing I ever wanted was to be another divorce statistic, but my ex-husband committed a...

#116 Daughter should be spared pain of secret / Daddy who cares—or, an irresponsible blamer?

Original Daddy Who Cares (June 2) letter

DEAR ABBY: I am 45 and currently going through a divorce. My soon-to-be ex-wife and I have a 14-year-old daughter, Gina. I have custody.

Fourteen years ago,...

#115 Wife wants hubby to wear lingerie / Fear a barrier to intercourse

DEAR ABBY: My husband and I recently watched a comedy that featured men cross-dressing. Ever since, I have had a burning desire to have my husband wear sexy lingerie and makeup.

There is nothing effeminate about him, but I...

#114 Woman still hasn't met her longtime boyfriend's family / Am I a kept woman?

Dear Annie: I have been in a relationship with Bryce for almost eight years. When we met, we were both in unhappy marriages. Bryce helped me financially and emotionally with my divorce, and also pulled me through...

#113 Woman hides her body and her feelings / Is survival by deceit normal?

DEAR ABBY: I am 43, the mother of four children and just celebrated my 20th anniversary. Is it normal for someone to be married all this time and still not want your husband to see you naked?

I do not reveal myself to...

#112 Wife ashamed of her home and cars / Is this a communication problem?

DEAR ABBY: My husband is threatening to leave and my 9-year-old daughter is distraught because I am embarrassed about our home and our cars. We live in an affluent suburb, but we're not one of the rich families. My daughter...

#111 Academic overachiever lonely

DEAR ABBY: I am a 20-year-old male living what appears to be “the dream.” I have completed my bachelor's degree, and I’m starting what will more than likely be a prosperous career. Still, something important is missing.

All my life I have always felt very...

#110 Woman wants to pay for dinner / Results reveal intention different than wants

DEAR ABBY: I'm in my early 20s and have a friend, “Logan,” who is in his early 30s. We go out to dinner every so often to catch up. When the server asks how the check should be split, Logan quickly says to put it...

#109 Complaining dinner friend an embarrassment

DEAR ABBY: My husband and I are occasionally invited out to eat at expensive restaurants by a couple with whom we are friendly. The problem is the wife never fails to complain about the food. It's the wrong meal, it was prepared incorrectly, it...

#108 Silence serves only the molester

Dear Annie: I am 22, engaged, working on a master's degree in child psychology and in a very
uncomfortable situation.

Two years ago, my fiancé's sister revealed to her family that Grandpa Joe had molested her as a child. After she told her parents, her...

#107 Mom stays close to daughter's exes / Mom's attachments are sexist

DEAR ABBY: From the time when I was a teen, whenever a romance of mine ended, my mother would continue having her own relationship with the ex regardless of how I felt about it.

Over the years she has — attended my...

#74 Daughter’s boyfriend tests boundaries / concerned parent trained daughter to create abuse

Dear Annie: Recently everything hit the fan when our daughter’s boyfriend “Tom” called her and said he’s been asked to escort a female friend to a wedding. Tom accepted the invitation.

Tom has been...

#73 Dad fears lazy girlfriend will be lazy wife / Son dramatizing disrespect of dad

Dear Abby: My 25-year-old son, “Mitch,” and his live-in girlfriend, “Mimi,” just became engaged, and I’m really worried. They met in college, where Mimi admits she went to “get her MRS.”

When Mitch took a job in...

#72 Why do children dump their children on grandparents? / Am I raising my grandchildren to be irresponsible and abusive?

Dear Annie: My husband and I are raising our grandchildren. We enjoy doing it, but we know we aren't the only grandparents who have ended up taking care of our children's...

#71 Problem with boyfriend's children / Now's not the time to be getting engaged.

Q: Dear Dennie: I've been dating a divorced dad for about a year, and we've decided to get engaged and take our relationship to a more serious level. The problem? His kids, 8 and 12, are totally against my moving in...

#70 Should I let son play with mischief-maker? / Should I teach mischief-maker how to deceive and gossip?

Dear Abby: My son, Adam, is 9. He's very bright and earns straight A's in school. Adam gets in trouble now and then for goofing off, but nothing serious.

Adam has become friends with a boy...

#64 Mother confused after daughter refuses contact / Daughter taking sides reveals she has become an enabler.

Dear Annie: I was the victim of domestic violence in my eight-year marriage that ended 10 years ago. After the divorce, I went to counseling with my daughter, Marie, who was then age 6. I...

#63 Don't reward your partner's honesty with an insulting overreaction / Sickness appropriate reaction

USA Weekend: RelationTips, by Dennie Hughes

Q: My fiancé just went to a bachelor party, and the stories he told me about all the sexual goings-on made me sick. I told him a few days later that...

#62 Should I tell boyfriend about kiss? / Looking for someone sharp enough to catch me

Pru: I have a moral dilemma, and I know you'll give it to me straight. I've been with my boyfriend, Fred, for a year and lived with him for about six months. We get along beautifully and agree that we are each...

#61 Tell teen's parents about their daughter's hanky-panky. / Should I betray my gossiping daughter's trust?

Dear Abby: Dena, my 13-year-old daughter, is in the same grade as her friend Amanda. Amanda has a sister, Barb, who turned 15 last month.

Amanda told my Dena that Barb's 16-year-old...

#60 True friends stick together despite change / “Friends” yes, addiction empowering enablers, no.

Dear Abby: I read your column faithfully. The letter from “Devoted Mom to Livermore, Calif.,” really touched a nerve with me. She said she wanted to end friendships with her old “career” friends...

#59 Daughter unsure how to handle estranged mother / Daughter programmed to train son to be abusive

Dear Annie: I’m married to “Bob,” a wonderful man, and we have an incredible 3-year-old son. The only problems we ever have are about family.

My mother and I have never been close. The community...

#58 Fighting partner asks, can relationship be fixed? / How do I stop fighting and blaming?

Dear Carolyn: I have been in a relationship for over a year now, and lately things have not been going well.

We just can’t seem to stop fighting, and now it has resulted in both of our saying things just...

#57 I'm afraid to ask a white girl out / No space for her to choose

Carolyn: There’s this girl in my office. She’s white and I’m black. We get along at social events with the office and I so badly want to ask her out. But, I’m afraid of not just the rejection but the emotional effects of being...

#56 Should I apologize to my ex? / Apologize? No! — Acknowledge? Yes.

Dear Carolyn: A relationship ended last summer in a nasty way and I said some really mean things to him. I mean REALLY mean. And what’s worse is that I did love him (and still do), but he made the terrible choice of going back...

#55 Husband refuses to kick drug habit / I'm addicted to making my husband wrong

Dear Annie: I had a marijuana habit since my teens and recently decided to quit. It's no longer something I enjoy, and I cannot reach my goals I plan to achieve in life if I continue to smoke pot. I haven't used for...

#54 Will an about-to-be-divorced cheater be faithful to me? / Is this cheating addict mirroring me?

DEAR ABBY: “Paul” and I have been dating for about 10 months. He is wonderful. He is going through a divorce because throughout his 20-year marriage, he was unfaithful to his wife. Paul swears he...

#53 How can I help a friend in an abusive relationship? / Am I addicted to enabling, abuse, and drama?

Dear Community Communications: i have a good friend that i care deeply for. However I think no let me rephrase that i know she is in an abusive relationship. I am very concerned about her as...