For the last six years, my partner and I have hosted family Thanksgiving dinners. I always spend more time and energy than I have to make it beautiful and successful. This year, I have neither the budget nor a desire for the stress. I made it known early that we wouldn't be hosting this year.
DEAR ABBY: My mother-in-law is a sweet retired teacher. She lives an active life volunteering at her local Boys and Girls Club and keeping up with her friends. The issue is, her mobility and her memory are in decline, and she and her family are in denial about it.
DEAR ABBY: My son married a wonderful woman. Sadly, they are having difficulty conceiving a baby. They have opted out of many conventional medical procedures because of their religious beliefs, for which I admire them.
DEAR ABBY: I've been separated and divorced for two years. A year ago, I met a man through a mutual friend. He was also going through a divorce.
DEAR ABBY: A family friend, "Simone," makes the time we spend together unbearable. She's married to my husband's best friend, "Earl."
DEAR ABBY: My wife and I are raising our two daughters (6 and 7) alongside my sister and her son (10). My sister and her baby daddy separated before their child's birth because he was physically and emotionally abusive. However, the law allows him to still be in the boy's life.
DEAR ABBY: I have been with my man for seven years and I keep asking him when we're getting married. He said we would — "someday." Then COVID came along. Now he says after the pandemic is completely over.
DEAR ABBY: Is there any way to end the "holiday newsletter"? Every Christmas, I get one from a particular family member, which invariably includes a list of their glowing accomplishments, expensive trips, etc., accompanied by lots of photos.
DEAR ABBY: I was married for 20 years. We met when I was 13. Our relationship continued through high school and college. We later married and had three children.
DEAR ABBY: My mother-in-law, "Irma," is a peach — she's the sweetest person in the world. She will do anything for anyone to lend a helping hand. Two weeks ago, she fell and broke her femur, which resulted in a significant hospital stay and needed rehabilitation.
